November 21, 2023 – National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) – Washington Spirit News Release
Get ready for 2024 with some Spirit draft facts.
All 14 NWSL clubs will gather at the Anaheim Convention Center in the new year for the upcoming season’s draft. Scheduled to kick off at 8 p.m. EST/5 p.m. local time on Friday, January 12, this year’s draft will be broadcast on ION Television for the first two hours until moving to ION Plus at 10 p.m. EST.
The Washington Spirit currently holds two picks in the first round (seventh and 13th overall) of Friday night’s NWSL Draft. The seventh overall pick represents Washington’s natural 2024 first round pick while the 13th overall selection of this year’s draft was acquired in a draft night trade last year. The Spirit traded defender Emily Sonnett to OL Reign in exchange for the Seattle-based side’s natural 2024 first round pick.
Washington also currently holds the 20th, 21st, 35th and 49th overall picks in this year’s draft. The Spirit acquired the 21st overall pick in last season’s trade with Racing Louisville FC that sent midfielder Jordan Baggett to the Kentucky club.
Twelve Spirit players currently under contract entered the NWSL through the draft. See when and where they were taken below (all selections were made by the Spirit unless otherwise noted):
2017
Ashley Hatch, second overall (BYU) (selected by North Carolina)
2018
Andi Sullivan, first overall (Stanford)
2019
Sam Staab, fourth overall (Clemson)
Dorian Bailey, eighth overall (North Carolina)
2020
Ashley Sanchez, fourth overall (UCLA)
2021
Trinity Rodman, second overall (Washington State)
Tara McKeown, eighth overall (USC)
Anna Heilferty, 19th overall (Boston University)
2023
Lyza Bosselmann, 28th overall (Gonzaga)
Riley Tanner, 30th overall (Alabama)
Lena Silano, 34th overall (Long Beach State)
Civana Kuhlmann, 37th overall (Stanford/Colorado)
The Spirit will be back in action in 2024 with all home matches once again being played at Audi Field. In total, Washington hosted almost 120,000 fans across the club’s 11 regular season home matches in 2023, averaging nearly 11,000 in attendance per home match. Fans can secure their tickets to all home matches next season with a season membership.
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