NWSL Draft Grades: How Each Club Fared

Looking at which team won draft night, who had the biggest trade and which club could’ve done more with its selections.

The 2023 NWSL draft is officially in the books after an evening filled with surprise trades, unexpected picks and monumental firsts. The league’s 12 clubs gathered in the Philadelphia Convention Center on Thursday, selecting a total of 48 players from a pool of 258 registered athletes.

Now that the dust has settled, here is where each team stands after making its picks.

Angel City FC: B+

Angel City FC pulled off a four-team blockbuster trade ahead of draft night to secure the No. 1 pick, which the club used to select Alyssa Thompson, making the 18-year-old the youngest-ever player to be picked up in the NWSL draft. The Harvard-Westlake star has already earned her first caps with the U.S. women’s national team ahead of turning pro and is considered by many to be a generational talent. With Christen Press and Sydney Leroux working back from injury, Thompson will provide Los Angeles with a critical look on the front line, with the up-and-comer a prolific and dynamic goalscorer. Using much of their muscle on the marquee player, aside from the first pick, while impactful, ACFC was relatively quiet for the remainder of the draft.

Picks:
No. 1 Alyssa Thompson, Harvard-Westlake (Forward)
No. 27 Angelina Anderson, UC Berkeley (Goalkeeper)

Kansas City Current: A+

Preparation was the name of the game for Kansas City. The Current set themselves up for a successful night by acquiring eight picks, the most of any club. They also brought in some big names during free agency, including Brazilian star Debinha, as well as Morgan Gautrat and Vanessa DiBernardo from the Chicago Red Stars.

Kansas City continued to make a statement on draft night, trading USWNT star Lynn Williams to NJ/NY Gotham FC for its second pick, which the Current used to select MAC Herman Trophy winner Michelle Cooper. With splashy attacking players locked in, Kansas City used its remaining selections to add depth to its roster with versatile players like No. 10 pick Alexa Spaanstra. All in all, it was an audacious showing for the reigning NWSL championship finalists.

Picks:
No. 2 Michelle Cooper, Duke (Forward)
No. 10 Alexa Spaanstra, Virginia (Forward)
No. 15 Gabrielle Robinson, West Virginia (Defender/ Midfielder)
No. 18 Jordan Silkowitz, Iowa State (Goalkeeper)
No. 35 Mykiaa Minniss, Washington State (Defender)
No. 38 Ella Shamburger, Vanderbilt (Defender)
No. 42 Rylan Childers, Kansas (Midfielder)
No. 47 Ashley Orkus, Ole Miss (Goalkeeper)

Orlando Pride: A

The Orlando Pride procured the steals of the draft, selecting Messiah Bright as the No. 21 pick after the TCU forward surprisingly fell to the second round and nabbing Summer Yates in the fourth round after the attacking midfielder slipped down the board. After the club struggled to find the back of the net last season, Bright and Yates are essential additions to the attack, anchored by Brazilian great Marta.

Needing also to shore up the back line, Orlando picked up Emily Madril, a seasoned defender with the ability to get forward. Madril has some professional experience under her belt as well, signing a short term with Sweden’s BK Häcken FF after forgoing her senior season at FSU. Entering the draft with plenty of needs, the Pride managed to fill a lot of their gaps with proven players.

Picks:
No. 3 Emily Madril, BK Häcken FF (Defender/ Midfielder)
No. 21 Messiah Bright, TCU (Forward)
No. 25 Tori Hansen, UNC (Defender)
No. 39 Summer Yates, Washington (Midfielder/Forward)
No. 41 Kristen Scott, UCF (Midfielder/Forward)

NJ/NY Gotham FC: A-

NJ/NY Gotham FC kicked off the draft with a bang, trading its second pick to Kansas City in exchange for Lynn Williams. Last in the NWSL standings, and with the fewest goals scored last season, Gotham FC needed a known quantity up top. Williams, a former league MVP, will add some serious firepower to the club’s forward lineup, which features Midge Purce and Ifeoma Onumonu.

Needing also to bolster their midfield, Gotham FC picked up Jenna Nighswonger with the fourth pick, which the club acquired via trade with Racing Louisville in exchange for Paige Monaghan, $150,000 in allocation and a 2023 international slot. The Florida State star is an attacking midfielder that can slot in next to Kristie Mewis and help link with Gotham FC’s attack, an element the squad was missing last season.

Picks:
No. 4 Jenna Nighswonger, Florida State (Midfielder/Forward)
No. 44 Iliana Hocking, Arizona (Defender/Midfielder)

Portland Thorns FC: B+

The reigning NWSL champions exited the draft with some big names despite the club’s not necessarily having any glaring gaps in its roster. However, one thing the Thorns likely accounted for are the absences to come this summer during the World Cup. Reyna Reyes, selected by Portland with the fifth pick, and Izzy D’Aquila, who surprisingly slipped to the No. 12 spot, are both singular talents able to step up on the back line and front line, respectively. On a team that’s already stacked, the Thorns did a solid job securing talent that can shine while some of the existing roster is off on international duty.

Picks:
No. 5 Reyna Reyes, Alabama (Defender)
No. 12 Izzy D’Aquila, Santa Clara (Forward)
No. 24 Lauren Debeau, Michigan State (Forward)
No. 32 Lauren Kozal, Michigan State (Goalkeeper)

North Carolina Courage: C

The North Carolina Courage entered the draft in a tough position, having lost a singular talent in Debinha to Kansas City during free agency. The hits kept coming on draft night, with the club losing its second leading scorer, Diana Ordoñez, to the Houston Dash. In exchange, the Courage received the eighth pick, a 2023 international spot, the 2024 natural first-round pick and $100,000 in allocation money.

Emboldened with four first-round selections, North Carolina made some confounding choices, faced with the daunting task of making up for two major losses.

Picks:
No. 6 Olivia Wingate, Notre Dame, (Forward)
No. 8 Sydney Collins, UC Berkeley (Defender/Midfielder)
No. 9 Clara Robbins, Florida State (Midfielder)
No. 11 Hayley Hopkins, Virginia (Forward)

Chicago Red Stars: B-

Losing key midfielders, among others during free agency, the Chicago Red Stars needed to restock on talent across the board. The club picked up Penelope Hocking in the first round, adding one of the best attacking players of the draft to its roster alongside Mallory Swanson. Focusing on lightening the load for Swanson, Chicago padded out its midfield and front line, but did little to shore up its defense.

Picks:
No. 7 Penelope Hocking, Penn State (Midfielder/Forward)
No. 14 Grace Yochum, Oklahoma State (Midfielder)
No. 23 Ally Schlegel, Penn State, (Forward)
No. 43 Sophie Jones, Duke (Midfielder)

San Diego Wave FC: B

After a successful free agency, San Diego didn’t enter the draft with as much pressure as other clubs needing to strengthen their rosters. The Wave, however, need to consider international absences come World Cup time, especially given that Alex Morgan scored the bulk of the team’s goals last season. Getting Stanford midfielder Sierra Enge at the top of the second round was a solid addition, as Australia’s Emily van Egmond will be Down Under for a good portion of the summer. Overall the team did well to pick up talent where needed but did little to build out the attack around Morgan.

Picks:
No. 13 Sierra Enge, Stanford, (Midfielder)
No. 33 Lauren Brzykcy, UCLA, (Goalkeeper)
No. 45 Giovanna Demarco, Wake Forest, (Midfielder)

Racing Louisville: C-

Racing Louisville started the night trading its fourth pick to Gotham FC in exchange for Monaghan, $150,000 in allocation and a 2023 international slot. Adding other talent throughout the later rounds, Louisville padded out its roster, but the selections didn’t appear as cohesive as other clubs’ pick-ups.

Picks:
No. 16 Kaylay Fischer, Ohio State, (Forward)
No. 17 Brianna Martinez, Notre Dame, (Defender/ Midfielder)
No. 29 Jadyn Edwards, University of New Mexico, (Midfielder)
No. 31 Riley Mattingly Parker, Alabama, (Midfielder/Forward)

OL Reign: B

OL Reign didn’t need a tremendous amount this draft, with coach Laura Harvey throwing her confidence behind her existing core group. The club did, however, trade with the Washington Spirit for a big name in USWNT defender Emily Sonnett in exchange for the 32nd pick and OL Reign’s natural first-round pick in the 2024 draft. Harvey also accounted for international absences, drafting two players that can step up on defense and in the midfield come the summer when those lineups may be depleted.

Picks:
No. 19 Shae Holmes, Washington (Defender)
No. 46 Natalie Viggiano, Wisconsin (Midfielder/Forward)

Houston Dash: A-

Acquiring Diana Ordoñez from the Courage was a major get for the Dash, with Houston now boasting two of the most exciting attacking players in the league. Ordoñez is set to join Ebony Salmon up top. The Dash also fortified its defense while reinforcing its midfield, making draft night a relative success for the Houston club.

Picks:
No. 20 Sophie Hirst, Harvard, (Midfielder)
No. 22 Jyllisa Harris, South Carolina, (Defender)
No. 36 Lindsi Jennings, LSU, (Defender)
No. 48 Madelyn Desiano, UCLA, (Defender)

Washington Spirit: C-

The Spirit needed to fill out their roster after losing Kelley O’Hara and Sonnett, among others. Washington did add six players in the later rounds of the draft. Many, however, were attacking players, not necessarily making up for the losses of O’Hara and Sonnett on the back line. The problem is the Spirit also need help in the attack, so perhaps bulking up higher up the pitch makes sense.

Picks:
No. 26 Nicole Douglas, Arizona State (Forward)
No. 28 Lyza Bosselmann, Gonzaga (Goalkeeper)
No. 30 Riley Tanner, Alabama (Forward)
No. 34 Lena Silano, Long Beach State (Forward)
No. 37 Civana Kuhlmann, Colorado (Forward)
No. 40 Delaney Graham, Duke (Midfielder)