Photo Copyright (l to r) Jonathan Jones, Craig Mitchelldyer & David Gonzales for USA TODAY Sports
The National Women’s Soccer League’s regular season is on hiatus in deference to the Olympic games. It’s a good time for some alternative reflections around the league. This week, a look at the 12 players who have been selected No. 1 overall by NWSL teams from 2013 until this year. In lieu of ranking them, here they are in chronological order. If you have ranking thoughts, tweet me @thedanlauletta.
2013 – Zakiya Bywaters, Chicago Red Stars
In the moment: At a time when league rosters were just being built from nothing, most observers believed Kristie Mewis was the best available player. Mewis wound up going No. 3 to FC Kansas City after Bywaters followed by Tiffany McCarty going to Washington.
The career: Bywaters, a speedy winger from UCLA, was an enigmatic underachiever as the top pick. She appeared in 25 games through 2014 before hip surgery kept her out for 2015. In 2016, Bywaters sent a series of negative tweets directed at the Red Stars coaching staff. She never expanded and the club never addressed them. The first draft pick in NWSL history is destined to be mostly forgotten through history but she did show signs of reaching her full potential in 2014.
The lookback: Mewis wound up on a World Cup roster but more than a decade later, Casey Krueger (No. 4, Breakers as Short) is probably the best player from that draft but she missed two seasons after a knee injury and sojourn to Norway before arriving in NWSL for 2015. Adrianna Franch (No. 6, Flash) may dispute the notion.
2014 – Crystal Dunn, Washington Spirit
In the moment: Crystal Dunn was long the consensus No. 1 pick and the Spirit’s prize for finishing the inaugural season at the bottom of the table.
The career: Dunn has enjoyed an excellent and unique career that is still going strong on the club and international levels. Her arrival in Washington helped turn the Spirit into contenders and they made the playoffs in all three of her seasons in the nation’s capital. In 2015, she famously tore up the league for 15 goals after being left off the World Cup roster. In her final game in a Spirit shirt, she scored twice in the 2016 NWSL Championship and had the team seconds from the trophy before it all came apart. From there, Dunn spent time in England before the Spirit traded her rights to the Courage ahead of the 2018 season.
In two seasons playing in Paul Riley’s box midfield in North Carolina, Dunn was arguably the best player in the world and the team lost only six games total while sweeping the Shield and NWSL Championship both seasons. Following the 2020 Challenge Cup, she forced a trade to Portland, and in 2022, just five months postpartum, she scored a dramatic goal in stoppage time against the Wave to send the Thorns to the NWSL Championship. That would be Dunn’s third league title.
Though she has been an attacking player at the club level since 2015, Dunn simultaneously carved out a career on the national team as an outside back. She was the first-choice left back on the 2019 squad that repeated as world champions. Later this summer she will participate in her third Olympic Games.
The lookback: Dunn has been great, but the loaded 2014 draft also included Julie Ertz, Vanessa DiBernardo, Kealia Ohai, and Emily Menges. Sounds like a separate column, right? Great idea. Keep your eyes peeled.
2015 – Morgan Gautrat (drafted as Morgan Brian), Houston Dash
In the moment: The only reason anyone thought Morgan Gautrat shouldn’t have been the top pick was that she was slated to miss a chunk of her rookie season at the World Cup. Pretty much everyone thought the best player available was Gautrat.
The career: Gautrat has been a solid player over the years, notably in Chicago where she helped the Red Stars reach the 2019 NWSL Championship. Internationally, she did go to the 2015 World Cup and came home as a world champion. Not only that but her insertion into the starting lineup helped turn that tournament around for the U.S. Four years later, Gautrat went back to the World Cup and again came home a champion.
Unfortunately, her name is one that you search for every time the injury report comes out. In eight NWSL seasons before 2024, she played more than 13 regular-season matches only once (21, in 2021). This season, she has appeared in half of Orlando’s 16 regular-season games. Gautrat’s Summer Cup start on Saturday was her first action since June 7. At her best, Gautrat is a game-changing midfielder and her first season in Orlando represents her best chance to add a domestic trophy to her World Cup medals.
The lookback: Sam Mewis (No. 4, Flash) is easily the best player from the 2015 draft but her career was cut short by a knee injury. Others like Abby Dahlkemper (No. 3, Flash) and Lynn Williams (No. 6, Flash) are at the end of a decade of top-level play. Caprice Dydasco (No. 19, Spirit) and Lo’eau LaBonta (No. 34, FC Kansas City) were excellent down-draft pickups.
2016 – Emily Sonnett, Portland Thorns FC
In the moment: Like Gautrat, Emily Sonnett was a consensus top pick and also earmarked to miss time in her rookie season for the Olympics. The Thorns though, were in a better position to withstand an absence than the Dash had been a year earlier.
The career: Sonnett was an impact player immediately and helped the Thorns win two trophies in her first two years – the 2016 Shield and 2017 NWSL Championship. Sonnett, who has a knack for stealing goals in big games, leveled off a bit after initially being on a trajectory to be among the world’s elite center backs. In recent years Sonnett has spent some time as a holding midfielder through stops in Washington, Seattle, and now Gotham (she was in Orlando in 2020 but did not appear for the Pride). To this point, Sonnett has won two NWSL Championships, the other being with the 2021 Spirit, and appeared in two other finals (2018 Thorns, 2023 Reign).
Internationally, Sonnett’s defensive versatility has kept her in the mix for the U.S. and she is in France to play in the Olympics. She is a 2019 world champion.
The lookback: The 2016 draft has not proven to be the deepest and best player honors are probably up for debate between Sonnett and Rachel Daly (No. 6, Dash). Sarah Gorden (No. 22, Red Stars) has been on the Best XI and fourth-round pick Dani Weatherholt (No. 31, Pride) remains a rotation player.
2017 – Rose Lavelle, Boston Breakers
In the moment: Rose Lavelle was on the fast track to stardom ahead of this draft and would make her senior U.S. debut in between the draft and opening day. Every team would have picked her had the opportunity presented itself.
The career: Lavelle is another like Gautrat, whose name has been synonymous with the availability report. She has managed to show up when it matters most, notably in 2019 when she was hurt in the World Cup semifinal but recovered to not only play in but score in the final against the Netherlands.
Lavelle’s club career had a dodgy start. She managed only 10 rookie appearances on a bad Breakers team that folded after the season. The Spirit took her in the dispersal draft and were equally horrid in 2018 before starting to turn a corner in ’19. Lavelle appeared in 17 games total in those two seasons. She was traded to Sky Blue for 2020 but did not appear in the Covid season. Later, she went to the Reign with a cameo at Manchester City.
Things began to click in Seattle and the Reign nearly won the 2023 NWSL Championship. Last off-season Lavelle took advantage of free agency and signed back with Gotham. After beginning the season on the shelf, Lavelle appeared in the last 12 games ahead of the Olympic break. Lavelle has five goals including four in the last six games. She will be a key cog in Emma Hayes’ midfield at the Olympics this summer.
The lookback: Taking durability into account, it is hard to argue against Jane Campbell (No. 15, Dash) as the most successful league-level player out of this draft. Ashley Hatch (No. 2, Flash) was Rookie of the Year and won the NWSL Championship and Golden Boot in 2021. Kristen McNabb (No. 37, Reign) is a candidate for best-ever 4th-round pick.
2018 – Andi Sullivan, Washington Spirit
In the moment: The only drama surrounding whether Andi Sullivan would be the No. 1 pick was whether or not she would declare for the draft.
The career: Sullivan has been a mainstay in Washington through several iterations since her 2018 rookie season. The height was 2021 when she hit the penalty that tied the NWSL Championship the Spirit later won. The low, other than a dreadful 2018 that saw the club win only two games, was 2022 when the championship encore produced only three wins and an organizational shakeup. Through it all, Sullivan has been a stabilizing force in the back of the Spirit midfield. She was part of the U.S. Olympic team three years ago in Tokyo but has not made either major roster since then.
The lookback: Casey Murphy (No. 13, Sky Blue) is probably the most accomplished player from 2018 followed by Sullivan. Ryan Williams (No. 40, Courage) was a bit player on two NWSL Championship teams and has become a regular starter for the Courage. But all-in-all this is probably the weakest NWSL draft historically.
2019 – Tierna Davidson, Chicago Red Stars
In the moment: Tierna Davidson was considered the best college player but her late declaration of the Red Stars’ glut of defenders including Julie Ertz made this pick an uncertainty until the final hours.
The career: Davidson has been a solid defender throughout her career but has run into some tough luck in big games. In 2019, she suffered a knee injury training for the NWSL Championship and missed the match. Two years later she gave away the penalty (converted by fellow No. 1 pick Andi Sullivan) that tied the NWSL Championship the Red Stars eventually lost in extra time. Earlier that year, Davidson gave up the penalty that helped Canada defeat the United States in the Olympic semifinals. And an ACL injury in 2022 derailed her season and cost her a legitimate chance at going to the 2023 World Cup. She signed with Gotham this season and is back in the national team fold with a spot at the Olympics.
The lookback: Another less-than-memorable draft class features Sam Staab (No. 4, Spirit) who is a Best XI defender who has never missed a regular-season start, plus Lauren Milliet (No. 14, Courage) and Maria Sanchez (No. 15, Red Stars). Not selected was Bethany Balcer who wound up in Seattle and won Rookie of the Year despite not playing Division I soccer.
2020 – Sophia Smith, Portland Thorns FC
In the moment: It was a poorly kept secret that when the Thorns traded up to the top pick, it was to draft Sophia Smith, who agreed to leave Stanford early in order to play in Portland.
The career: Very much still a work in progress but Smith is already a bonafide star and looks to be well on her way to being the most successful No. 1 pick in NWSL to date. In 2022 she was MVP of the regular season and NWSL Championship, the only player to do so in the same year. The 2023 follow-up was the Golden Boot, a title she is in contention for again. Smith struggled at the 2023 World Cup but has been a mainstay on the U.S. squad since becoming the first player born in the 2000s to be capped in November 2020.
The lookback: Way too early for big proclamations but it will be difficult for anyone to catch Smith as the best player in this draft. Morgan Weaver (No. 2, Thorns) and Ashley Sanchez (No. 4, Spirit) are probably the top candidates while Ella Stevens (No. 24, Red Stars) is enjoying a breakout season with Gotham.
2021 – Emily Fox, Racing Louisville FC
In the moment: After the aborted 2020 season, Racing Louisville swooped in as an expansion team with the first pick and made the fairly obvious choice to select Emily Fox.
The career: It’s been an odd one so far for Fox who spent two years in Louisville before being traded to North Carolina. She spent one season with the Courage and is now at Arsenal. Through the moves, she has proven to be a strong defender and was on the World Cup side last summer and is on the current Olympic team.
The lookback: It’s early, but Trinity Rodman (No. 2, Spirit). And don’t forget about Sam Coffey (No. 12, Thorns)
2022 – Naomi Girma, San Diego Wave FC
In the moment: There have not been many surprising top picks but most through Jaelin Howell would be first off the board until the Wave went with Naomi Girma.
The career: Girma became one of the best and most mature rookies in NWSL history, immediately taking charge of the Wave backline and stamping herself as one of the best center backs in the world. She was named not only Rookie of the Year but Defender of the Year in 2022—repeating as Defender of the Year in 2023, and has been a finalist for MVP. Girma will anchor the U.S. backline in France this summer.
The lookback: Way too early but Girma is way out in front. Savannah DeMelo (No., 4, Louisville) has already had a great rise and a bit of a fall. But check back on this in a few years.
2023 – Alyssa Thompson, Angel City FC
In the moment: Like Smith, Alyssa Thompson agreed to declare for the draft once she was assured Angel City would have the No. 1 pick.
The career: Thompson has shown flashes of brilliance including a 3-assist game earlier this year. She was included in the World Cup roster last summer but not this year’s Olympic squad. Thompson will not turn 20 until November.
The lookback: Emily Sams (No. 3, Pride) and Jenna Nighswonger (No. 4, Gotham) are both in France preparing for the Olympics. Nighswonger is already considered one of the league’s best defenders and may one day be considered a steal at No. 4.
2024 – Ally Sentnor, Utah Royals FC
In the moment: For the first time, the NWSL draft dawned with no consensus top pick. The close-to-the-vest Royals took UNC teenager Ally Sentnor.
The career: Sentnor has three of the eight goals for the offensively-inept Royals and looks to be comfortable playing against pros. Sentnor has been called into recent U-20 World Cup rosters and could be part of the U-20 World Cup this fall.
The lookback: We can’t “look back” at a six-month-old draft but early on the class has been spectacular led by Rookie of the Year favorite Croix Bethune (No. 3, Spirit)
