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usa sports the culture is full of unique quirks, and there are few traditions more American than the draft. On Thursday night, in Philadelphia, the National Women’s Soccer League hosts its 2023 edition.
How it works?
Made for soccer players looking for professional clubs in the NWSL, eligible athletes independently apply to the list from which a maximum of 48 names will be chosen . The NWSL’s 12 clubs receive a pick each round based on a variety of factors, including their position in the previous season. The bottom-ranked team and expansion clubs typically select first. That said, draft picks are often exchanged for players, cash, or future draft picks, and fluctuations in the number and order of selections vary accordingly.
These fluctuations are no exception this year. Angel City has recently made moves to acquire the first pick in the draft and clubs like OL Reign who have traded their selections will only pick twice, waiting until the third round to make their first pick. The Orlando Pride, on the other hand, can make up to seven picks.
eligibility rules for the draft require players to be US citizens or permanent residents or foreign nationals enrolled at a US university during the 2022-23 academic year. Players cannot be under a current professional contract and cannot have previously signed one. They must have exhausted or waived collegiate eligibility during the 2022 academic year. This includes high school graduates who waive college eligibility. Finally, players must have turned 18 by December 31, 2022, although a new NWSL rule allows two younger players to be drafted (with strict protection stipulations).
During the first round, teams have five minutes to make their selection. Each team is allowed three minutes to announce its selection for the next three rounds, although each team is allowed up to three timeouts, each also lasting three minutes.
The impact of the project
The collegiate system and subsequent draft are pillars of development and club building in women’s soccer in America. The system is unique, and while it has been successful historically, it has its critics. As the soccer world catches up, some argue that practices inherited from American development will need adjustments to thrive.
Certainly, some adjustments have already been made. This includes allowing a select few “U18’s” to join professional clubs, a move instigated in large part by teen phenom Olivia Moultrie, who sued the NWSL in addition to the age restriction.
In addition to the overall American development apparatus it embodies, the draft also removes some of the choice of where an athlete will live and play. NWSL athletes have lobbied for more autonomy for players in recent years, and one wonders whether abolishing the draft might be on the agenda, allowing graduates more say in where they end up.
Regardless, the impact of recruiting on club success is pretty clear. Clubs that select early and early reap clear benefits.
Take last year’s draft. The expansion club San Diego Wave went first and selected Naomi Girma from Stanford. Girma was named Rookie of the Year and Defender of the Year in the NWSL, the first rookie to receive two individual awards in his first year. Girma has also made strides with the national team in 2022, emerging as a top contender for the World Cup starting line-up and putting in an outstanding performance. against england at Wembley.
Emily Fox was selected No. 1 in 2021, bolstering Racing Louisville’s defense. Trinity Rodman was drafted right behind her for the Washington Spirit. Both are in the national team picture, and Rodman recently ranked in a handful of “best of” world lists.
In 2020, Portland Thorns managed to select the first and second picks in the draft, choosing the offensive talents of Sophia Smith and Morgan Weaver. Each was instrumental in Thorns’ Championship season in 2022. Smith has collected numerous accolades for their impact, including NWSL MVP, Championship MVP and 2022 USWNT Player of the Year.
Other first round picks from previous years include the likes of Rose Lavelle, Emily Sonnett and Crystal Dunn.
Say what you will about the draft. But it’s hard to argue that selecting first doesn’t have a clear, short-term impact on the club’s success in that position.
Things to watch in 2023
Angel City FC will receive the first pick this year, after a switch of several teams to get that spot. The LA Times reported The ACFC will use that pick to acquire the talents of Los Angeles native Alyssa Thompson, who made her USWNT debut at Wembley Stadium in October aged 17, coming on for Megan Rapinoe in the dying minutes.
Angel City General Manager Angela Hucles Mangano said of the momentous decision to pick the first pick in the draft: “We are extremely proud of the product we fielded in our inaugural season, but our goal is to make the playoffs and win championships. We know that to achieve these goals, we have to set ourselves up for success on the field for years to come, which is why we wanted to be able to control our destiny with the #1 overall pick of the 2023 draft. We are focused on making as much of an impact on the pitch as possible and we hope to be able to do so in our second season.”
The fun won’t stop with Thompson, as clubs like Orlando Pride and Kansas City Current will have plenty of selections, allowing them to bolster their rosters for the 2023 season. Names to watch include Mexican international Reyna Reyes from Alabama and Duke University’s Herman Trophy-winning forward Michelle Cooper.
Recommended viewing
Northern Ireland international Ellie Mason ran the ball down one side of the field to the other to score to Lewes this week in the Premier League. Watching her split defenders and run across the field is worth a few replays.
“Alexa, play Ellie Mason’s goal on repeat!”
— Lewes FC Women (@LewesFCWomen) January 8, 2023
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Have a question for our writers – or want to suggest a topic to cover? Contact by email moving.goalposts@theguardian.com or post BTL.
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