January 13, 2023 – National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) – Angel City FC News Release
Quotes from Today’s Media Conference Call
ACFC General Manager Angela Hucles Mangano
On the support systems in place for No. 1 Overall Pick Alyssa Thompson to succeed long term:
“With Alyssa, the groundwork has already been laid from the first conversations that we’ve had with her and her family before the actual selection and support has already been started in terms of setting the expectations as well. What I’m trying to do also with any type of public forum is caution.”
“What’s very typical in American sports culture is to set a lot of high expectations that can be very negative for players. However, I feel in having those conversations with Alyssa, it’s been great to see her competitive nature on what her short and long term goals are. We’ve had the ability to actually discuss that and talk to her about the specific ways in which we are going to make sure the environment is supportive of her goals for her development.”
“It’s not to put the pressure on Alyssa that we have this expectation of her coming in, being the lone goal scorer for her team. It is having that ability and time to develop into the player that we think she could be and that she thinks she can be as well.”
On how the draft impacts building the the roster for this season:
“I think Alyssa is one of those players who fits a few different categories of what we’re looking to do in the short and long term, and with her age and the ability for her to develop over time. She’s already been into a full, women’s national team camp.”
“We’re still evaluating [the roster], but we’ve come out of the draft really excited as a staff in terms of what we’re able to do and accomplish in acquiring the players that we really wanted and were targeting. We are very pleased with that and just looking at going into this preseason, how all the players get to adapt to one another while bringing in new talent as well and making sure that we’re continuously developing, so we’re in a good place and not really looking to make a whole lot more adjustments in the short term.”
On seeing players cross the stage knowing she was once in that moment:
“What’s interesting is the deal that was done [for the No. 1 pick], when you look at the people who were involved from myself to Karina [LeBlanc], and Yael [Averbuch], we all have crossed over in our playing days together. The ability for us to have that personal connection and knowing one…