NWSL Draft: selection order, registered players and more

The National Women’s Soccer League will stream its ninth annual draft exclusively on Twitch at 6 p.m. and all 40 selections will be made virtually.

Rules leading up to draft day were unclear as the league attempted to manage COVID-19. After the NCAA approved a waiver allowing student-athletes to decide if they would report to their NWSL team before or after the spring season, some of the NCAA’s best coaches were confused on how to best advise their players.

In an effort to expand the number of draft-eligible players, the league removed the registration requirement automatically making all Division I players who exhausted three years of intercollegiate soccer eligibility prior to the 2020-2021 academic year eligible.

The NWSL has since announced a list of 50 registered players, 10 more than the number of selections over the four rounds.

Registered players:

Arthurs, Carli| Stephen F. Austin State University | F,M,D | Lewisville, TX | Solar Chelsea Soccer Club | United States

Ashworth-Clifford, Lucy| Lamar University | F | Cheshire, England | Manchester City | United Kingdom

Badawiya, Rola| California Baptist University | F, M | Riverside, CA | Pateadores | United States

Baltrip-Reyes, Carina| University of Florida | D |Pflugerville, TX | Dallas Texans Soccer Club | United States

Baumbick, Alyssa| Ohio State University | M | Avon Lake, OH | Cleveland Internationals Soccer Club | United States

Berg, Haley| University of Texas at Austin | F, M | Celina, TX | Solar | United States

Betfort, Hannah| Wake Forest University | F, D |Wake Forest University | Charleston, SC | United Soccer Academy Mount Pleasant | United States

Bryan, Sabrina| Hofstra University | F, M | Cecil, PA | Pittsburgh Riverhounds Academy | United States

Cassalia, Sydney| Army West Point | GK |Omaha, NE| Elite Girls Academy | United States

Collins, Kaylie|University of Southern California | GK | Clayton, CA | Mustang ECNL | United States

Del Valle, Yasmin| West Virginia University Institution of Technology | F, M, D | Orlando Florida | ACYS | United States

Drawdy, Morgan| Austin Peay State University | F, M | Merritt Island, FL |Northwest United FC | United States

Ekic, Emina | University of Louisville | F, M | Louisville, KY | Javanon FC | United States

Fagundes, Larissa| Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi | F, M | Rio Do Sul, Brazil | Felej | Brazil

Ford, Harlie| Webber International University | M, D | Poinciana, FL | Stetson FA | United States

Gorzak, Alissa| University of Virginia | F | Naperville, IL | Eclipse Select Soccer Club | United States

Gyau, Mia-Irene | Duke University | F, M, D | Silver Spring, MD| McLean U-18 ECNL | United States

Hall, Kyleigh| Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi | GK | Mansfield, TX | Dallas Texans | United States

Heilferty, Anna| Boston University | F, M | Falls Church, VA | Annandale United FC (VA) | United States

Hipp, Jenny| University of Massachusetts | F, M | Frankfurt, Germany | FFC Turbine Potsdam | Germany

Kallash, Anika| Central Methodist University | F, M | Troy, MO | Missouri Thorns | United States

Kurosaki, Yuuka| University of Oklahoma | M | Kitakyushu-Shi, Fukuoka | Fujieda Junshin High School | Japan

Kurz, Lena| University of Illinois | GK | Ludwigshafen, Germany | TSV Neckarau | Germany

Larisey, Clarissa| University of Memphis | F | Ottawa, ON | Otawa South United | Canada

Lebelt, Amanda| Centenary University | F, M | Milford, NJ | FC Copa | United States

Lino, Samara| University of Montevallo | M | Montevallo, AL | Palo Alto | Brazil & Portugal

Lopes, Julia| West High School Torrance | F, M | Torrance, CA | La Roca | United States & Brazil

Marshall, Amber| Utah State University | M, D | Syracuse, UT | Santa Rosa United | United States

McCain, Addie| Texas A&M University| M | Lavon, TX | FC Dallas | United States

McMillan, Caylon| Stephen F. Austin State University | M | Forney, TX | ECNL 98G FC Dallas | United States

Mitchell, Taylor| Duke University | D | Tarzana, CA | Real So Cal | United States

Moyer, Shea| Penn State University | M | Wyomissing, PA | FC Revolution | United States

Nabweteme, Sandra| Southwestern Oklahoma State University | F | Kampala, Uganda | Kawempe Muslim ladies team | Uganda

Otto, Taylor| University of North Carolina | M,D | Apex, NC | CASL | United States

Parker, Lucy| University of California, Los Angeles | D | Cambridge, England | Arsenal Women FC | United Kingdom

Pickett, Victoria| University of Wisconsin-Madison | M | Barrie, ON | Glen Shields Football Club | Canada

Pickett, Kiara “Kiki”| Stanford University | F, M, D | Santa Barbara, CA | Camarillo Eagles Soccer Club | United States

Pinto, Brianna| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | F, M | Durham, NC | NTH TopHat (USDA) / CASL (ECNL) | United States

Prathapa, Jenna| Xavier University | F, M, D | Upper Saddle River, NJ | FNew Jersey Stallions Dynamite | United States

Rodman, Trinity| Washington State University | F | Newport Beach, CA | Socal Blues | United States

Rodriguez, Karina| UCLA | M, D | Torrance, CA | So Cal Blues S.C. | United States

Rosette, Samantha| Villanova University | F, M, D | Bronx, NY | NJ Stallions Dynamite | United States

Ryan, Yazmeen| Texas Christian University | F, M, D | Norman, OK | Oklahoma Celtic | United States

Schnurr, Kristin| Penn State University | F, M | Bristow, VA | McClean ECNL | United States

Sheehan, Delanie| University of California, Los Angeles | M, D | Brentwood, CA | West Coast Soccer Club | United States

Sornpao, Tiffany| Kennesaw State University | GK | Duluth, GA | UFA of Norcross| United States

Talbot, Madeline| Stephen F. Austin State University | GK | Shreveport, LA | Shreveport United | United States

Termini, Katelyn| Stephen F. Austin | F, M | Frisco, TX | Solar Chelsea ECNL | United States

Toth, MaKayla | University of Central Missouri | F, M | Wichita, KS | Sporting Kaw Valley | United States

Vasey, Elisabeth| University of Wisconsin – Green Bay | F, M, D | Phoenix, AZ | Sereno ECNL | United States

The Chicago Red Stars made significant moves ahead of the draft as coach Rory Dames expressed uncertainty about the 2021 draft class.

Mallory Pugh and Sarah Killion Woldmoe were acquired from Sky Blue FC for the fourth and eighth overall selections in the 2021 draft, a conditional first-round pick in the 2022 draft and an international slot for 2021 and 2022. Dames said he was confident this trade would add more to the Red Stars than any selection he made in the 2021 draft.

The team also announced it acquired $35,000 in Allocation Money and the North Carolina Courage’s natural second-round selection in the 2022 National Women’s Soccer League Draft in exchange for a 2021 International Slot.

Racing Louisville FC has the No. 1 overall pick in tonight’s draft, followed by the Washington Spirit, two picks by Sky Blue FC, and one more from Louisville to round out the top-five draft selections.

The Red Stars have four picks in tonight’s draft: 6th overall, 18th, 25th and 35th.