January 12, 2023 – National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) – Angel City FC News Release
LOS ANGELES/PHILADELPHIA – Angel City Football Club (ACFC) today selected Los Angeles native forward Alyssa Thompson as the No. 1 overall pick of the 2023 National Women’s Soccer League Draft presented by Ally. She is the youngest player ever selected in the NWSL Draft. With the 27th pick, Angel City selected goalkeeper Angelina Anderson out of UC Berkeley.
“Alyssa Thompson is a phenomenon and a generational player,” stated General Manager Angela Hucles Mangano. “At the beginning of last year, she came in as a practice player and trained in the ACFC environment. She’s been on our radar for a while, so for our strategy now in the short term as well as how we’re looking to build our roster long-term, she can check both boxes.”
“Turning pro at this time was a really difficult decision, but I couldn’t be more excited about joining Angel City” said Thompson. “Being able to play against the best in the world and with the best in the world every single day- I couldn’t pass that opportunity up. Angel City has the best fans in the NWSL and I can’t wait to play in front of them.”
About Alyssa Thompson
Thompson, the 2020-21 Gatorade Player of the year, has a notable background that includes her recent call up to the senior USWNT after helping the U.S. win a gold medal at the 2022 U20 Women’s World Cup in the Dominican Republic. At the age of 17, she made her debut with the USWNT in September during a friendly match against England at Wembley Stadium.
Currently a senior at Harvard-Westlake Prep School, Thompson and her sister Gisele, a junior at Harvard-Westlake, were named the first high school student-athletes to earn a NIL deal with Nike in 2021. As a junior, Thompson recorded 48 goals in 18 games leading her team to an undefeated season and a SoCal State Regional title. In the following spring, she ran the second fastest time in California in the 100 meter dash, with a time of 11.74.
On the club’s other pick in the draft, ACFC General Manager Angela Hucles Mangano said, “Angelina [Anderson] is going to be a great addition to our team and will add great chemistry amongst our goalkeepers. We’re really excited that we were able to draft her and make her our 27th pick.”
About Angelina Anderson
ACFC’s No. 27 pick, Angelina Anderson of Danville, CA, is a skilled goalkeeper from the University of California, Berkeley, who joins Thompson as the club’s 2023 draft class ahead of its…