January 13, 2023 – National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) News Release
PHILADELPHIA – The National Women’s Soccer League welcomed 48 new players to the league as athletes heard their names called Thursday night in the 2023 NWSL Draft presented by Ally.
Headlined by high school star Alyssa Thompson, who was selected by Angel City FC with the No. 1 overall pick, the NWSL’s newest draft class features players from over 30 U.S. universities.
This year’s event saw a record 10 draft-day trades, including a blockbuster exchange between the Kansas City Current and NJ/NY Gotham FC which sent forward Lynn Williams to Gotham FC and the No. 2 overall selection to the Current. Kansas City went on to select Duke University standout and 2022 MAC Hermann Award winner Michelle Cooper.
Emily Madril, who signed a professional contract with the league last August, rounded out the top three of the draft, heading to the Orlando Pride.
The North Carolina Courage made four picks in the first round, tying the record for most first-round selections.
Twin sisters Iliana and Penelope Hocking made history as the first siblings to be selected in the same NWSL Draft. Penelope was selected by the Chicago Red Stars with the seventh overall pick while Iliana was chosen by Gotham FC with the 44th selection.
This year’s draft also saw first-time selections for three universities, including Iowa State University, the University of Arizona and the University of New Mexico. Virginia and Stanford continue their streaks of having at least one pick in every draft, and with one pick in the third round of the 2023 event, UCLA is now the all-time leader in draft picks with 22 selections.
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