No Risk, No Story: Sh'Nia Gordon on Career in Soccer, Time at West Virginia, Overseas Journey in France and Russia, Playing in the NWSL and USL Super League, Passion for Fashion Design and More

The Ballers Magazine
Oct 17
11 min read

Sh'Nia Gordon recalls her commitment from a very young age to playing the game of soccer at the highest level. "For me, there wasn't a time where I was like: 'I'm kind of good at this, maybe I can try playing professionally.' I was always like, 'I'm playing professional soccer'," Sh'Nia highlights. A certainty that fueled her day in and day out to strengthen her skills on the pitch and turn her dreams into reality. She was on a mission. As she embarked on her collegiate career at West Virginia University, Sh'Nia remembers honing in on three particular areas: her work ethic, training habits, and personal mindset. Areas which, as she emphasizes, allowed her to inch closer to her goal of playing professionally and made the entire transition that much smoother. Upon graduating from West Virginia, Sh'Nia began her professional career in France. It was only up from there. After a season with FC Metz, Sh'Nia went on to play for Dijon FCO and CSKA Moscow respectively before returning to the States in 2022 and joining Racing Louisville FC in the NWSL. The rest is history! In 2024, Sh'Nia signed with Fort Lauderdale United FC for its inagural season in the USL Super League and hasn't looked back since. Currently in her second year with the football club, Sh'Nia is more motivated than ever to leave her mark on the game and continue building a legacy that extends well beyond the field.

From her career as a professional soccer player to her endeavors as a youth coach to her entrepreneurial ventures in fashion design, Sh'Nia is looking forward to pursuing all her passions on and off the pitch in the years to come. Through it all, there is one powerful quote that Sh'Nia turns to time and time again to remind herself of the power she holds within to achieve anything she sets her mind to as well as the fearlessness she must hold when navigating the ebbs and flows of it all..."NO RISK, NO STORY."

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Let’s start with your time in college! What was your journey like playing at West Virginia?

In West Virginia, that was the first time I ever stayed somewhere more than three years so that was pretty memorable for me (*laughs*). I stayed there from freshman year all the way through my senior year. I loved my coach. I thought she was like a mom away from mom to all of us—to all the girls on the team. It was snowing all the time there, but it was good. I enjoyed my time there and if I had the chance to go back, I would go back. I loved my college days. It was so fun.

How do you think your game elevated throughout your collegiate career at West Virginia to prepare you for the next level?

I would say the biggest thing that really got me in college was my work ethic. I think I've learned work ethic and hard, honest work just on the field all the time. No matter if you're tired, no matter if your technical ability is gone, you can always control your effort. I learned that in college and I really do give credit to my college coach for engraving that in all of us. Still to this day, that's just what I believe in and how I play my games right now.

Do you remember your a-ha moment or that moment where you were all-in on playing soccer professionally?

I don't remember that time because I always wanted to do professional soccer (*laughs*). For me, there wasn't a time where I was like: “I'm kind of good at this, maybe I can try playing professionally.” I was always like, “I'm playing professional soccer.” So it was never surprising to me because that was literally what I was going to do.

Love that! You began your professional career in France. Could you share more with us about what that experience was like for you?