The 2023 NWSL Draft saw California high school forward Alyssa Thompson go first overall to Angel City FC thanks to a series of wild trades made in the days leading up to the draft. Only 18, the Los Angeles native is expected to contribute right away and has unlimited potential if Angel City are able to develop Thompson well. In a normal draft, a high schooler going first overall would've been the wildest thing to happen, but in this 2023 NWSL draft, it was anything but normal.
Duke star forward Michelle Cooper went No. 2 while the first defender off the board was Emily Madril of Florida State, who landed with the Orlando Pride at No. 3 overall.
With a record 12 trades during the draft, the Washington Spirit were able to take control of the draft in the third round after the North Carolina Courage used their draft capital to amass four first-rounders. There are plenty of ways to build a roster in the NWSL but the draft, especially this one, has talent up and down. With COVID allowing players to have a fifth year of eligibility and in some cases transfer to other schools, like Penelope Hocking of Penn State, this is a polished class and teams wanted to add depth, and many did just that.
They'll need that depth when core players head to the 2023 Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand this summer, which is why not only were plenty of goalkeepers selected but some teams like the Kansas City Current essentially selected entirely new backlines. Hocking also saw her twin sister Iliana head to NJ/NY Gotham FC creating a new sibling rivalry in the league. It was an exciting, record-setting draft, one that saw U.S. women's national team forward Lynn Williams traded.
Here are the complete draft results:
Draft results
Round 1
- 1. Angel City FC -- Alyssa Thompson, FWD (Harvard-Westlake Prep)
- 2. Kansas City Current -- Michelle Cooper, FWD (Duke University)
- 3. Orlando Pride -- Emily Madril, DEF (Florida State University)
- 4. NJ/NY Gotham -- Jenna Nighswonger, MID (Florida State University)
- 5. Portland Thorns FC -- Reyna Reyes, DEF/MID (University of Alabama)
- 6. North Carolina Courage -- Olivia Wyngate, FWD (Notre Dame University)
- 7. Chicago Red Stars -- Penelope Hocking, MID/FWD (Penn State University)
- 8. North Carolina Courage -- Sydney Collins, DEF/MID (California University)
- 9. North Carolina Courage -- Clara Robbins, MID/FWD (Florida State University)
- 10. Kansas City Current -- Alexa Spaanstra, MID/FWD (University of Virginia)
- 11. North Carolina Courage -- Haley Hopkins, FWD (University of Virginia)
- 12. Portland Thorns FC -- Izzy D'Aquila, FWD (Santa Clara University)
Round 2
- 13. San Diego Wave -- Sierra Enge, DEF/MID (Stanford)
- 14. Chicago Red Stars -- Grace Yochum, MID (Oklahoma State)
- 15. Kansas City Current -- Gabrielle Robinson, DEF/MID/FWD (West Virginia University)
- 16. Racing Louisville FC -- Kayla Fischer, MID/FWD (Ohio State University)
- 17. Racing Louisville FC -- Brianna Martinez, DEF/MID (Notre Dame University)
- 18. Kansas City Current -- Jordan Silkowitz, GK (Iowa State University)
- 19. OL Reign -- Shea Holmes, DEF (University of Washington)
- 20. Houston Dash -- Sophie Hirst, MID (Harvard University)
- 21. Orlando Pride -- Messiah Bright, FWD (Texas Christian University)
- 22. Houston Dash -- Jyllissa Harris, DEF/MID (University of South Carolina)
- 23. Chicago Red Stars -- Allison Schlegel, MID/FWD (Penn State University)
- 24. Portland Thorns FC -- Lauren DeBeau, MID/FWD (Michigan State University)
Round 3
- 25. Orlando Pride -- Tori Hansen, DEF (University of North Carolina)
- 26. Washington Spirit -- Nicole Douglas, FWD (Arizona State University)
- 27. Angel City FC -- Angelina Anderson, GK (University of California)
- 28. Washington Spirit -- Lyza Bosselmann, GK (Gonzaga)
- 29. Racing Louisville FC -- Jaydn Edwards, MID/FWD (University of New Mexico)
- 30. Washington Spirit -- Riley Tanner, MID/FWD (University of Alabama)
- 31. Racing Louisville FC -- Riley Mattingly Parker, MID/FWD (University of Alabama)
- 32. Portland Thorns -- Lauren Kozal, GK (Michigan State University)
- 33. San Diego Wave FC -- Lauren Brzykcy, GK (University of California, Los Angeles)
- 34. Washington Spirit -- Lena Silano, FWD (Long Beach State University)
- 35. Kansas City Current -- Mykiaa Minniss, DEF (Washington State University)
- 36. Houston Dash -- Lindsi Jennings, DEF (Louisiana State University)
Round 4
- 37. Washington Spirit -- Civana Kuhlmann, FWD (University of Colorado)
- 38. Kansas City Current -- Ella Shamburger, DEF (Vanderbilt University)
- 39. Orlando Pride -- Summer Yates, MID/FWD (University of Washington)
- 40. Washington Spirit -- Delaney Graham, DEF/MID/FWD (Duke University)
- 41. Orlando Pride -- Kristen Scott, MID/FWD (University of Central Florida)
- 42. Kansas City Current -- Rylan Childers, MID (Kanas University)
- 43. Chicago Red Stars -- Sophie Jones, MID (Duke University)
- 44. NJ/NY Gotham FC -- Iliana Hocking, DEF/MID (University of Arizona)
- 45. San Diego Wave FC -- Giovanna Demarco, MID (Wake Forest University)
- 46. OL Reign -- Natalie Viggiano, MID/FWD (University of Wisconsin)
- 47. Kansas City Current -- Ashley Orkus, GK (University of Mississippi)
- 48. Houston Dash -- Madelyn Desiano DEF (University of California, Los Angeles)