2023 NWSL Draft
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| 2023 NWSL Draft | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Sport | Soccer |
| Date | January 12, 2023 |
| Time | 18:00 ET |
| Location | Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Network | CBS Sports |
| Overview | |
| 48 total selections in 4 rounds | |
| League | National Women's Soccer League |
| First selection | Alyssa Thompson, Angel City FC |
| Most selections | Kansas City Current (8) |
| Fewest selections | Angel City FC, NJ/NY Gotham FC, OL Reign (2) |
The 2023 NWSL Draft presented by Ally was the eleventh annual meeting of National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) franchises to select amateur players above the age of 18 playing in the United States who exhausted, lost, or renounced any remaining collegiate eligibility,[1] as well as select players that the NWSL had already signed in advance.[2] It was held on January 12, 2023, at the 2023 United Soccer Coaches Convention in Philadelphia and covered by various linear and online platforms of CBS Sports.
Angel City FC selected Alyssa Thompson of the Harvard-Westlake School with the first overall pick. She was the first player ever to be picked in an NWSL draft directly out of high school.[3]
- All 12 teams of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) took turns making their selections over four rounds. Draft order in each round was determined by the reverse order of the final 2022 regular season standings, except that the 2022 champions picked last and the runners-up picked second-to-last in each round.[4]
- The list of players eligible for selection was released on January 10, 2023.[5]
- CBS Sports covered the draft on various platforms, including CBS Sports Network, Paramount+, and CBS Sports HQ.[1] International broadcast was available on the NWSL's YouTube channel.[6]
Results
- As of May 30, 2025
Key
| + | Denotes player who has been selected as NWSL Most Valuable Player |
| * | Denotes player who has been selected for an NWSL Best XI or NWSL Second XI team |
| ^ | Denotes player who has been selected as NWSL Rookie of the Year |
| # | Denotes player who has never appeared in a competitive NWSL game (regular season, playoff, or Challenge Cup) |
Picks
Notable undrafted players
Below is a list of undrafted rookies who appeared in a competitive NWSL game in 2023.
| Nat. | Player | Pos. | Original NWSL team | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Chai Cortez | D | San Diego Wave FC | Oregon |
| Sami Feller | D | Chicago Red Stars | Denver |
| Paige Metayer | M | Washington Spirit | California |
| Mackenzie Pluck | M | Angel City FC | Duke |
| Croix Soto | D | Kansas City Current | Oregon |
| McKenzie Weinert | F | OL Reign | Oregon State |
Trades
Summary
In 2023, a total of 34 colleges had players selected. Of these, three had a player drafted to the NWSL for the first time: Arizona, Iowa State and New Mexico.
Schools with multiple draft selections
| Selections | Schools |
|---|---|
| 3 | Alabama, Duke, Florida State |
| 2 | California, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Penn State, UCLA, Virginia, Washington |
Selections by college athletic conference
| Conference | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Round 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACC | 7 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 12 |
| Big Ten | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| Big West | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Big 12 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Ivy League | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Mountain West | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Pac-12 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 11 |
| SEC | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 7 |
| The American | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| West Coast | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Non-college athlete | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Selections by position
| Position | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Round 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 6 |
| Defender | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 13 |
| Midfielder | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 12 |
| Forward | 7 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 17 |
