The Spirit traded U.S. nationwide crew defender Emily Sonnett to OL Reign for a third-round choose Thursday and a first-round choose in 2024. Sonnett had spent the previous two seasons in Washington, successful a title with the crew in 2021.
New Spirit coach Mark Parsons mentioned the commerce took place because the crew sought to rebalance its roster forward of the World Cup, which can take nationwide crew gamers reminiscent of Sonnett away from their membership sides for an prolonged interval this summer time.
“The timing could be better. … but what we knew and felt from OL Reign was they really believed and were invested in this, and they were going to give Emily the opportunity she deserves,” he mentioned. “We have some big needs in other areas, and we’re working very successfully on other areas in the back line that we [need to] fill.”
The Spirit had no pure picks till the third spherical of the draft. With its first choice at No. 26, Washington selected Arizona State ahead Nicole Douglas, a London native who scored 60 objectives throughout 5 years for the Sun Devils and has made appearances for England’s youth nationwide groups.
“I’m hoping I can bring that attacking ability, my dribbling skills and obviously scoring goals,” Douglas mentioned. “I just hope that I can achieve as much as I did in college and help the Washington Spirit as much as possible.”
After that choice, the Spirit fired off a series of trades, ending the third spherical by buying three picks for money and draft spots. The Spirit added Gonzaga goalkeeper Lyza Bosselman, Alabama ahead/midfielder Riley Tanner and Long Beach State ahead Lena Silano via these trades. Fourth-rounders Civana Kuhlmann (Colorado) and Delaney Graham (Duke) rounded out the crew’s choices.
Alyssa Thompson, an 18-year-old ahead who debuted for the U.S. girls’s nationwide crew in October, was chosen first total by Angel City FC. The California native is the youngest participant to be drafted in NWSL historical past, surpassing Spirit ahead Trinity Rodman in 2021.
The Kansas City Current drafted Duke ahead Michelle Cooper with the second choose, which it acquired in a draft-night commerce that despatched U.S. nationwide crew ahead Lynn Williams to NJ/NY Gotham FC. Cooper gained the MAC Hermann Trophy as the highest participant in girls’s faculty soccer this month.
University of Virginia forwards Alexa Spaanstra and Haley Hopkins had been chosen with the tenth and Eleventh picks, respectively, by the Current and the North Carolina Courage. Florida State midfielder Clara Robbins (Colonial Forge High) went to the North Carolina Courage with the ninth choose.
The Current additionally added two Virginia natives within the second spherical: South County grad Gabrielle Robinson (West Virginia) and former Woodson goalkeeper Jordan Silkowitz (Iowa State).
After a 3-9-10 document and an Eleventh-place end in 2022, Washington is retooling its roster beneath Parsons, who was employed in November, and General Manager Mark Krikorian, the previous Florida State coach named head of soccer operations in June.
Since November, the Spirit has re-signed midfielder Marissa Sheva, longtime co-captain Tori Huster, defenders Camryn Biegalski and Amber Brooks, and veteran goalkeeper Nicole Barnhart. Defenders Kelley O’Hara (Gotham FC) and Julia Roddar (Sweden’s Hammarby) each departed the membership.
In December, Washington signed defender Gabby Carle on a multiyear deal. Carle, who spent final season at Swedish membership Kristianstads, gained a nationwide championship at Florida State beneath Krikorian in 2018 and has made 35 appearances for the Canadian nationwide crew.