NWSL Draft 2023: Full results and and key takeaways

After just over four hours of picks, the NWSL 2023 Draft has concluded. Forty-eight new players have been drafted into the league amid several bombshell trades. Here is everything you need to know.  

The NWSL Draft took place on Thursday in Philadelphia, and some teams might’ve walked away better off than others. Over 250 players registered for the draft this year, with incredible talent all across the board. After four rounds of twelve picks, the draft concluded with 48 new players entering the league for the 2023 season. The draft was accompanied by the usual NWSL chaos, with extensive trades and deals being made both before and during the draft. All of the most notable trades are detailed below, along with every draft pick from all four rounds.

The most notable trades and deals that took place before the 2023 NWSL Draft

• In a multi-team deal, Angel City FC traded their No. 5 draft pick, their 2024 second-round top pick, and allocation money to the Portland Thorns in exchange for midfielder Yazmeen Ryan. Then they traded Ryan and allocation money to Gotham FC in order to acquire the first-round draft pick.
• OL Reign acquired Elyse Bennett and the No. 23 draft pick from Kansas City Current in exchange for $150,000 in allocation money. Bennett is a 2022 first-round draft pick forward.
• Racing Louisville Traded their No. 4 draft pick to NJ/NY Gotham FC in exchange for Paige Monaghan, $150,000 in allocation money and a 2023 international slot.
• The San Diego Wave signed free agent Megan Dougherty Howard to a two-year contract.

The most notable trades and deals that took place during the 2023 NWSL Draft

• Gotham FC acquired Lynn Williams from The Kansas City Current and the Current receive the No. 2 overall draft pick.
• The North Carolina traded Diana Ordóñez and their No. 30th pick in the draft to Houston in exchange for the No. 8 overall pick, Houston’s 2024 natural first-round pick, a 2023 international spot, and $100,000 in allocation money.
• Defender Emily Sonnett was traded to OL Reign in a move involving the Chicago Red Stars and Washington Spirit. The Spirit gained the 32nd overall draft pick and the Reign’s natural first-round pick in the 2024 Draft. And Chicago gained the 23rd overall draft pick in the 2023 NWSL Draft, a 2023 international roster spot, and the Reign’s natural third-round pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft.

NWSL 2023 Draft results by round

Round One Picks

• No. 1: Angel City FC – Alyssa Thompson, Forward (Harvard-Westlake School)
• No. 2: Kansas City Current – Michelle Cooper, Forward (Duke)
• No. 3: Orlando Pride – Emily Madril, Defender (FSU)
• No. 4: NJ/NY Gotham FC – Jenna Nighswonger, Forward/Midfielder (FSU)
• No. 5: Portland Thorns FC – Reyna Reyes, Defender/Midfielder, (Alabama)
• No. 6: North Carolina Courage – Olivia Wingate, Forward (Norte Dame)
• No. 7: Chicago Red Stars – Penelope Hocking, Forward/Midfielder (Penn State)
• No. 8: North Carolina Courage – Sydney Collins, Midfielder/Defender (UC Berkeley)
• No. 9: North Carolina Courage – Clara Robbins, Forward/Midfielder, (FSU)
• No. 10: Kansas City Current – Alexa Spaanstra, Forward/Midfielder, (UVA)
• No. 11: North Carolina Courage – Haley Hopkins, Forward, (UVA)
• No. 12: Portland Thorns FC – Izzy D’Aquila, Forward, (Santa Clara)

Round Two Picks

• No. 13: San Diego Wave – Sierra Enge, Midfielder (Stanford)
• No. 14: Chicago Red Stars – Grace Yochum, Midfielder (Oklahoma State)
• No. 15: Kansas City Current – Gabrielle Robinson, Defender/ Midfielder (West Virginia)
• No. 16: Racing Louisville FC – Kayla Fisher, Forward/Midfielder (OSU)
• No. 17: Racing Louisville FC – Brianna Martinez, Midfielder/Defender (Norte Dame)
• No. 18: Kansas City Current – Jordan Silkowitz, Goalkeeper, (Iowa State)
• No. 19: OL Reign – Shae Holmes, Defender (Washington)
• No. 20: Houston Dash – Sophie Hirst, Midfielder (Harvard)
• No. 21: Orlando Pride – Messiah Bright, Forward (TCU)
• No. 22: Houston Dash – Jyllissa Harris, Midfielder/Defender (USC)
• No. 23: Chicago Red Stars – Ally Schlegel, Forward/Midfielder (Penn State)
• No. 24: Portland Thorns FC – Lauren DeBeau, Forward/Midfielder (Michigan State)

Round Three Picks

• No. 25: Orlando Pride – Tori Hansen, Defender (UNC)
• No. 26: Washington Spirit – Nicole Douglas, Forward (Arizona State)
• No. 27: Angel City FC – Angelina Anderson, Goalkeeper (UC Berkeley)
• No. 28: Washington Spirit – Lyza Bosselman, Goalkeeper (Gonzaga)
• No. 29: Racing Louisville – Jadyn Edwards, Forward/Midfielder (New Mexico)
• No. 30: Washington Spirit – Riley Tanner, Forward/Midfielder (Alabama)
• No. 31: Racing Louisville FC – Riley Mattingly Parker, Forward (Alabama)
• No. 32: Portland Thorns – Lauren Kozal, Goalkeeper (Michigan State)
• No. 33: San Diego Wave – Lauren Brzykcy, Goalkeeper (UCLA)
• No. 34: Washington Spirit – Lena Silano, Forward (Long Beach State)
• No. 35: Kansas City Current – Mykiaa Minniss, Defender (Washington State)
• No. 36: Houston Dash – Lindsi Jennings, Defender (LSU)

Round Four Picks

• No. 37: Washington Spirit – Civana Kulhmann, Forward (Colorado)
• No. 38: Kansas City Current – Ella Shamburger, Defender (Vanderbilt)
• No. 39: Orlando Pride – Summer Yates, Forward/Midfielder (Washington)
• No. 40: Washington Spirit – Delaney Graham, Forward/Midfielder/Defender (Duke)
• No. 41: Orlando Pride – Kristen Scott, Forward/Midfielder (UCF)
• No. 42: Kansas City Current – Rylan Childers, Midfielder (Kansas)
• No. 43: Chicago Red Stars – Sophie Jones, Midfielder (Duke)
• No. 44: NJ/NY Gotham FC – Iliana Hocking, Midfielder/Defender (Arizona)
• No. 45: San Diego Wave FC – Giovanna DeMarco, Midfielder (Wake Forest)
• No. 46: OL Reign – Natalie Viggiano, Forward/Midfielder (Wisconson)
• No. 47: Kansas City Current – Ashley Orkus, Goalkeeper (Mississippi)
• No. 48: Houston Dash – Madelyn Desiano, Defender (UCLA)

Key Takeaways From the 2023 NWSL Draft

• Alyssa Thompson becomes the youngest player to ever be drafted at 18 years old.
• The No. 14 pick of the evening, Grace Yochum, is the 400th player to be drafted into the NWSL.
• There were twelve trades made during the draft this year, which is a new record. Most of them involved allocation money and picks moving up and down in the third and fourth rounds.
• In the two biggest trades of the evening, Lynn Williams moves to Gotham FC, and Diana Ordonez moves to the Houston Dash.
• The Kansas City Current continue to make exceptional moves, signing Michelle Cooper with the second overall pick and drafting a deep defense to back up all the impressive attacking players they’ve signed during the offseason.
• The NWSL season kicks off on March 25.