Spirit take Andi Sullivan first overall, big trades highlight NWSL Draft

The Washington Spirit selected Andi Sullivan with the first pick in the 2018 NWSL Draft. From there, things got more unpredictable.

The National Women’s Soccer League Draft began with something that has been in short supply in professional women’s soccer, but has become the norm for the circuit entering its sixth season: predictability.

That quickly dissolved, but in the way of an established league: superstars on the move, trade intrigue and some significant homecomings.

The Washington Spirit kicked things off by selecting Andi Sullivan, a player many scouts believe is the finest to enter the NWSL Draft since Crystal Dunn joined the league (and then went out and won an MVP).

“It’s such an honor and a privilege to go No. 1,” Sullivan said. “There are so many amazing players in the league so it truly means a lot to me. It’s an exciting time for the league, and I’m very excited to come back to the D.M.V. and play in the stadium where I grew up watching games.”

How predictable was this? The league had a video ready to go. The Spirit followed this with Rebecca Quinn, a Canadian international. Both can assume immediate, vital roles for the Spirit, a team that entered the offseason in dire need of more short-term contributors, and form a trio with the remarkable Mallory Pugh that should expedite Spirit coach/GM Jim Gabarra’s rebuild significantly.

In between those picks, the Boston Breakers selected forward Savannah McCaskill, a logical next step in what Lee Billiard and Matt Beard are building in Boston. Remember, the Breakers were in playoff contention before losing Rose Lavelle to a hamstring injury for most of the season.

Then came a trio of draft picks for Sky Blue FC, with a great deal unknown. Christy Holly’s departure gave way to Denise Reddy as head coach, and exactly how the team will play in her system is still generally unknown.

Sky Blue’s first selection was Michaela Abam, a big target to replace Leah Galton, headed overseas. Then came Imani Dorsey, forward from Duke, another attacker reunited with former Duke teammate Christina Gibbons, and versatile enough to plug into the roles Kelley O’Hara operated in for years in Piscataway.

“This is a surreal experience for me,” Dorsey told the assembled crowd, after driving from home to be at the draft, leaving at 2:30 a.m. to get here on time. “If you’d told me I’d have the opportunity to be a professional soccer player when I was five years old, I’d have probably believed you, but it is still an amazing experience.”

At that point, two major trades were announced. The league declined to say who the players involved are, so as of right now, these are the trades officially:

– Red Stars get sixth pick, 24th pick and two players to be determined, while Houston Dash got the seventh pick, international roster spot and player to be determined.

– But wait, there’s more: Sky Blue then received two players to be determined, sixth and 13th picks from Chicago for three players and the 15th pick.

Multiple sources have told FanSided the likely centerpiece of the deal for Sky Blue is Carli Lloyd, with Jonathan Tannenwald of Philly.com reporting Sam Kerr, the league’s 2017 MVP, may be headed to Chicago.

That’s enough excitement for a whole offseason! But the draft continued. Sky Blue’s final pick of their first round trio was Amadine Pierre-Louis, who played up top for West Virginia, but probably slots into a back line in need of help for her new team.

Chicago followed by grabbing do-everything Nebraska mainstay Haley Hanson, a repeat callup by the United States U-23 team.

Portland, with the luxury of building for tomorrow, then selected Sandra Yu out of Notre Dame eighth and Gabby Seiler from Florida ninth. The Thorns don’t need either player immediately, leaving Yu time to complete her degree and the versatile Seiler time to play with the Gators’ basketball team until March (and, for the optimists, April).

North Carolina concluded the first round by taking the uber-quick Frannie Crouse from Penn State, who is likely to help replace defender Taylor Smith, who’d been dealt for Crystal Dunn.
Got all that? There will be a quiz. And probably more trades.