The NWSL draft for the 2023 season is around the corner. The NWSL soccer clubs will be looking to strengthen their respective squad for the upcoming season. Angel City FC which is currently co-owned by Serena Williams is leading the draft order followed by NJ/NY Gotham FC. NBA star, Kevin Durant owns a minority stake in the New Jersey-based club.
250 upcoming soccer players have registered for the NWSL draft. However, only 48 soccer players will hear their names being called out. Angel City FC is currently in the best position after successfully pulling off a few strategic moves a week prior to the draft.
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Angel City FC leading the 2023 NWSL draft!
Just days prior to the NWSL draft, Angel City FC received the rights for American striker, Yazmeen Ryan. However, Angel City FC traded Ryan’s rights to Gotham City FC with an additional $250,000. In return, the LA-based club received the No.1 pick in the 2023 NWSL draft.
Alyssa Thompson is set to become the first draft pick of this edition of the NSWL. The 18-year-old soccer star is prepared to join Angel City FC as their first pick. Quite a few eyes are going to be on the young soccer star. Thompson already penned down a deal with Nike in 2022. She becomes the first-ever women’s soccer player to sign a brand deal before actually signing for a club.
The second draft pick, Michelle Cooper is set to join NJ/NY Gotham FC. The young striker completed her sophomore year at Duke University. Cooper already has a prominent goal-scoring record to her name after scoring 19 goals and 11 assists over 22 games in the NCAA Division 1 tournament.
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Apart from the Top 2 picks, Izzy D’Aquila’s likely destination will be Orlando Pride. Orlando Pride sits third in the NWSL draft order, followed by Racing Louisville FC and Portland Thorns FC. Other upcoming talents like Clara Robbins, Emily Madril, Alexa Spaanstra, and many more will hear their names at the 2023 NSWL draft.
Personalities like Serena Williams spearheaded women’s soccer!
Women’s soccer in America is surely moving in the right direction. The popularity of the NWSL seemingly increases season after season. The 2023 edition of the NWSL marks the tenth season of the women’s soccer league.
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Renowned celebrities like Serena Williams and her husband Alexis Ohanian, Natalie Portman, Eva Longoria, and many more have endlessly contributed to women’s soccer in America. This is just Angel City FC’s second-ever season. However, the LA-based club has gained millions of fans worldwide.
Young soccer talent always existed in the US. However, Natalie Portman once described soccer in the US as an ‘underutilized resource’. She then revealed that the Americans just required a little bit of a cultural shift to start following soccer.
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Which player are you excited about in the upcoming NWSL draft? Let us know in the comments below.
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