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Philadelphia — The National Women’s Soccer League welcomed 48 new players to the league in Thursday’s 2023 draft. A wild first round full of trades with player movement and position shuffling set the tone for the evening. Angel City FC 18-year-old forward Alyssa Thompson was selected as No. 1 overall. Kansas City Current futures trading Lynn Williams I jumped to second place and took the lead over Duke to Michelle Cooper. The draft also houston dashIt’s a deep draft class, with many teams walking away with good additions to their rosters and plenty of positive vibes.

With the 2023 Draft officially in the books, it’s time to evaluate the teams at overall Draft Night.

Angel City: B-

The Los Angeles side made headlines in the days leading up to the draft when they entered a four-team trade to move into the No. 1 slot. The move was reported to Thompson in the draft. Here’s how Angel City earned a top pick.

Angel City FC, along with ACFC’s 2023 first-round draft pick and 2024 second-round pick, received rights to forward Yasmin Ryan from the Portland Thorns in exchange for a $200,000 allocation. rice field.
Angel City FC take Ryan’s rights and $250,000 Gotham FC in exchange for the #1 draft pick in the 2023 NWSL Draft.

The club ultimately spent $450,000 to climb to the top spot and chose Thompson. Her high-ceilinged young prospect, Thompson, could play front-line depending on how her team plans to leverage her. This is a bold move that may pay off sooner than expected. The club also needed to strengthen its goalkeeping core and they did so with the selection of another California native, Angelina Anderson, from Berkeley, California.

chicago red stars: C++

A team that lost several players to free agency and retirement in the offseason entered the draft that required players to be drafted in all disciplines. They finished with four players overall, although he started with three selections. Penn State forward Penelope Hocking was considered the top forward in the draft class and received Chicago’s first pick at No. 7.

The additions of Grace Yotchum (Oklahoma), Arie Schlegel (Penn State) and Sophie Jones (Duke) are all attacking players who could compete for the club’s starting role. But they’re graded lower because they don’t have the added defender for depth.

Houston Dash: B+

Houston traded out in the first round, but Bravery of North CarolinaThey received forward Diana Ordonez and the 30th overall pick. Ordonez is nearing the end of a breakout season, breaking his 12 goals record for a rookie. We also needed depth in defense and midfield. They achieved that by picking players like Jyllissa Harris (University of South Carolina) and her Lindsi Jennings (Louisiana State University).

Kansas City Current: A

The Current continued their big draft day move when they signed with NJ/NY Gotham FC and moved up to second place. They picked top prospect and Mac Herman Trophy winner Cooper, and rounded out the first round with Alexa Spanstra, a versatile forward who can also play in midfield.

NJ/NY Gotham FC: A-

The team started the day with the No. 2 pick and made a ton of moves at current Racing Louisville, San Diego Wave FC — We still have a top 5 pick. The club acquired his USWNT forward Lynn Williams from Kansas City Current in his No. 2 trade and selected Jenna Nicewonger as his No. 4 trade after a trade to Louisville. The club’s move earlier in the week to acquire Yasmin Ryan also sets them up nicely for 2023.

North Carolina Courage: C-

They lost Devinha in free agency and now lost Ordonez in a trade, making a somewhat confusing choice for their pick due to the talent available in the first round. They were the winners of last year’s draft, but unfortunately they didn’t win this year’s draft. But Clara Robbins (FSU) in ninth place could be plagiarized.

OL Reign: B-

OL Reign has an above-average roster and a somewhat average finish. They finished the day with only two picks on him, but swung for the fence in the trade.Laura Harvey gets another star player in trade washington spirit For USWNT defender Emily Sonnett.

Orlando Pride: Ah-

The team entered a multi-team contract prior to the draft, earning a large quota in the process. They ultimately lost the free agency race to Brazilian national team Devinha, but made a good choice in the draft picks. I had to target the line. They also walk away with Messiah Bright, TCU’s highest-rated forward who scored 49 goals during his college days.

Portland Thorns FC:B

The reigning champions picked up another first-round pick in a trade with Angel City FC, opting to pick Reina Reyes from Alabama–slotting in the backline and midfield, and for defense. A player that can grow into a long-term solution.

Racing Louisville FC: C+

Racing Louisville traded out in the first round and acquired Paige Monaghan in a trade with Gotham FC for the 4th slot. She was the biggest pick of the night, along with her quota. This will give you an average grade.

San Diego Wave FC: C+

The California club jumped in the draft order for the first pick in the second round, but didn’t need to truly embody the bulk of their roster in this draft. , signed a good free agency deal this offseason and saw little use in this year’s draft. But midfielder Sierra Enge was a standout at Stanford, so getting an extra goalkeeper in Lauren Budziksey was a smart move.

Washington Spirit: D+

The Spirit needed to grow their roster, so they traded off USWNT defender Sonnet. It stands to reason. If forward/midfielder Riley Tanner from Alabama has a breakout year and can help offense, perhaps the team will outperform their opponents on the pitch.

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