Just when you thought next year's draft may hit the rewind button in talent compared to 2017 .... The 2018 NWSL Draft "could" be off the scales, and not able to be measured in how good it can be. These players aren't as good as the 2017 draftees "yet", but their ceiling is actually "higher". 2018 Top Prospects (early glance) MF - Andi Sullivan (better than every player taken in both the 2016 and 2017 drafts) MF - Rachel Corboz (higher ceiling than her older sister, assist machine, possible future star at club and intl') F/MF - Ani Sarkisian (sky is the limit, maybe planet Venus. NWSL fans will love her) GK - Casey Murphy (the Murph is a tall and rock steady goalkeeper that should be on the USWNT one day) F/MF/D- Jessie Scarpa (may have to make a position switch, but is very versatile and powerful) F/MF/D - Michaela Abam (this West Virginia player has scary potential, and could tear it up in this league) MF - Emily Ogle (didn't have the best U-20 WWC, but may be the next best thang at midfielder to Sullivan) MF- Mikaela Harvey (Zerboni engine, Ohai lungs, super model hair, vicious bite, what's not to like?) F/MF/D - Gabby Seiler (one of the most versatile players in the draft. stud player from Florida) D - Rebecca Quinn (star defensive diamond. big time player at the international level) D - Sabrina Flores (youth national team veteran, and could be a high-quality outside back in NWSL) F - Nadia Gomes (another potential long-term professional goal scorer from BYU) F - Frannie Crouse (skilled striker from Penn State, and a U-23 type of national team talent) F - Megan Schafer (another skilled striker from Penn State) F - Jorian Baucom (thicker version of Sydney Leroux, less speed, but more power than Leroux) F - Savannah McCaskill (SEC player of the year from South Carolina, and the best ever at drawing penalties) D - Brittany Basinger (youth national team player for years, not USWNT caliber, but groomed to be a pro) D - Emma Koivisto (big time talented Euro Florida State player) GK - Cassie Miller (stud goalkeeper from FSU. with future expansion in NWSL, probable starter in this Ligg) F - Maria Sanchez (star Mexican youth player from their youth World Cup team, could be a force in NWSL) F/MF - Megan Buckingham (finally a UNC player shows up here) F/MF/D - Aly Moon (best name in the draft, and one of the most versatile prospects. will lose her shorts) F - Haley Pounds (Ashley Hatch "Lite" type of player from Texas A&M, which is still a solid pro prospect) D - McKayla Paulson (big imposing center back prospect from Texas A&M. shut down defender) And Maddie Elliston from Penn State would have been in this draft if she didn't redshirt. She's a possible future USWNT mainstay for years to come after her college career is over.
Great article about Miss America (or Miss Michigan) candidate - Ani Sarkisian http://thespun.com/college-football/wilton-speight-girlfriend-ani-sarkisian
I love when you post these type of posts, great insight! But, I don't see Ogle or Scarpa in this draft, as they'll only be redshirt Jr's this coming fall. Highly doubt either of them leave
Not sure on the updated picks after all the trades, but here's an updated Mock Draft: 1.) Expansion Team #1: Andi Sullivan (Stanford) 2.) Expansion Team #2: Jessie Scarpa (UNC) 3.) Washington: Michaela Abam (West Virginia) 4.) Boston: Rachel Corboz (Georgetown) 5.) Houston: Mikaela Harvey (Texas A&M) 6.) Portland (from Orlando): Savannah McCaskill (South Carolina) 7.) Sky Blue: Frannie Crouse (Penn State) 8.) FCKC: Emily Ogle (Penn State) 9.) Seattle: Casey Murphy (Rutgers) 10.) Chicago: Ani Sarkisian (Michigan) 11.) Portland: Hailey Harbison (Pepperdine) 12.) North Carolina: Sabrina Flores (Notre Dame) 13.) Expansion Team #1: Nadia Gomes (BYU) 14.) Expansion Team #2: Brittany Basinger (Penn State) 15.) Washington: Emma Koivisto (Florida State) (Finland International) 16.) Boston: Rebecca Quinn (Duke) (Canada International) 17.) Houston: McKayla Paulson (Texas A&M) 18.) Orlando: Gabby Seiler (Florida) 19.) Sky Blue: Megan Buckingham (North Carolina) 20.) FCKC: Haley Pounds (Texas A&M) 21.) Seattle: Jorian Baucom (LSU) 22.) Chicago: Megan Schafer (Penn State) 23.) Portland: Aly Moon (Arizona State) 24.) North Carolina: Imani Dorsey (Duke) 25.) Expansion Team #1: Cassie Miller (Florida State) 26.) Expansion Team #2: Maria Sanchez (Santa Clara) (Mexico International) 27.) Washington: Carlyn Baldwin (Tennessee) 28.) Boston: Carla Portillo (West Virginia) MP - Movement Press: Is Maria Sanchez a Future Star with the Mexican National team?
Not 100% sure on the accuracy all of the picks with trades and what not. Round 1 1.Washington - Andi Sullivan 2.Boston - Savannah McCaskill 3.Houston - Michaela Abam 4.Kansas City - Rachel Corboz 5.Sky Blue - Gabby Seiler 6.Washington (from Sea.,Chi.) - Imani Dorsey 7.Chicago - Kristen Dodson 8.Portland (from Orl.) - Frannie Crouse 9.Portland - Mikaela Harvey 10.North Carolina - Joanna Boyles Round 2 11.Washington - Brianna Visalli 12.Houston (from Bos.,Sea.) - Haley Pounds 13.Chicago (from Hou.) - Brittany Basinger 14.Kansas City - Rebecca Quinn 15.Sky Blue - Chloe Williams 16.Washington (from Sea.) - Chidera Akubuilo 17.Boston (from Chi.) - Rachel Bloznalis 18.Chicago (from Orl.) - Alexa Ben 19.Chicago (from Port.) - Hailey Harbison 20.North Carolina - Indigo Gibson Round 3 21.Washington - Megan Buckingham 22.Boston - Natalie Larkin 23.Houston - Maddie Huster 24.Kansas City - Martha Thomas 25.Sky Blue - Colby Ciarrocca 26.Washington (from Sea.) - Megan Schafer 27.Chicago - Maddy Williams 28.Houston (from Orl.) - Casey Murphy 29.Chicago (from Port.) - Sandra Yu 30.Houston (from NC) - McKayla Paulson Round 4 31.Washington - Cassie Miller 32.Boston - Alexis Kiehl 33.Houston - Hanna Barker 34.Kansas City - Emily Boyd 35.Sky Blue - Anna Conklin 36.Seattle - Kimberly Keever 37.Chicago - Ani Sarkisian 38.North Carolina (from Orl.,Port.) - Veronica Latsko 39.North Carolina (from Port.) - Sydney Squires 40.North Carolina - Ashton Miller
Her game is built to be the next McCall Zerboni type in this league. With a little more attacking, and less defending, but she has that BITE to her.
Washington looks like geniuses now, by getting Pugh and failing enough this year to potentially get Andi Sullivan as well. If that happens, they have 2 of the Top 3 young prospects of the USWNT, in Pugh and Sullivan (with Lavelle being the other player in that Top 3). They become even more attractive for international players to come over and play for an up and coming team with explosive and technical youngsters, in Pugh and Sullivan.
Now that Denise has excepted the Head Coaching job at Sky Blue my hope is the Washington Spirit Brass can start acting like a PROFESSIONAL organization that wants to WIN! Maybe they can hire a TALENT specialist for the draft and while they are at it a new-change of direction! I vote to bring in the Reserve Players-Sullivan, Dorsey, DeBree, Huster. Add McCaskill, Buckingham and Crouse from Penn State and now you have something! Is it true that KCFC is dropping out and UTAH has replaced them?
First two rounds based off of the preliminary list. It's a little light right now. 1.Washington - Savannah McCaskill 2.Boston - Gabby Seiler 3.Houston - Michaela Abam 4.Utah - Casey Murphy 5.Sky Blue - Veronica Latsko 6.Washington (from Sea.,Chi.) - Indigo Gibson 7.Chicago - Vanessa Gilles 8.Portland (from Orl.) - Joanna Boyles 9.Portland - Brianna Visalli 10.North Carolina - Maddie Huster Round 2 11.Washington - Kayla Adamek 12.Houston (from Bos.,Sea.) - Taylor Campbell Isom 13.Chicago (from Hou.) - Zoey Goralski 14.Utah - Nadia Gomes 15.Sky Blue - Anna Conklin 16.Washington (from Sea.) - Morgan Reid 17.Boston (from Chi.) - Rachel Bloznalis 18.Chicago (from Orl.) - Frannie Crouse 19.Chicago (from Port.) - Elizabeth Ball 20.North Carolina - Morgan Ferrara
Don't be surprised if Sky Blue takes the local product Casey Murphy from Rutgers, with one of those two first round picks they now have. They are building to go much younger now, and they can get a young goalkeeper to develop as the future goalkeeper of this entire league potentially. Murphy may just be the best goalkeeper prospect the NWSL Draft has ever seen so far, in its draft history.
I would love to see her go to Sky Blue or the Reign. Anyone have any links for the draft, both video and otherwise?
The 2018 NWSL College Draft will take place on Thursday, January 18, at 10 a.m. ET at the United Soccer Coaches Convention in Philadelphia, the league announced. The draft will open to the public and media and will be held in the CC Grand Ballroom at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. It will be live streamed with details to be announced at a later date. United Soccer Coaches Convention Pennsylvania Convention Center 1101 Arch St, Philadelphia, PA 19107 Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018 Start time: 10 a.m. ET Room: CC Grand Ballroom
ROUND 1 1 Washington Spirit 2 Boston Breakers 3 Houston Dash 4 Sky Blue FC 5 Sky Blue FC 6 Washington Spirit 7 Chicago Red Stars 8 Portland Thorns FC 9 Portland Thorns FC 10 North Carolina Courage ROUND 2 11 Washington Spirit 12 Houston Dash 13 Chicago Red Stars 14 Utah Royals FC 15 Sky Blue FC 16 Washington Spirit 17 Boston Breakers 18 Chicago Red Stars 19 Chicago Red Stars 20 North Carolina Courage ROUND 3 21 Washington Spirit 22 Boston Breakers 23 Orlando Pride 24 Houston Dash 25 Utah Royals FC 26 Washington Spirit 27 Chicago Red Stars 28 Houston Dash 29 Chicago Red Stars 30 Houston Dash ROUND 4 31 Washington Spirit 32 Boston Breakers 33 Houston Dash 34 Utah Royals FC 35 Sky Blue FC 36 Seattle Reign FC 37 Chicago Red Stars 38 North Carolina Courage 39 North Carolina Courage 40 North Carolina Courage
I'm not sure how involved the Courage will be. Unless roster rules change appreciably. We know the published Salary Cap math doesn't work, but the Courage's problem isn't Salary Cap per se, but raw numbers. With only 20 roster spots, they're starting at 18-19 returning players with Yuri re-signed. Then you've got Darian Jenkins who they parked on the DL list all last season, and another top draft pick that spent the year injured, but went unsigned (that I think they still own the rights to - and are very interested in). Unless the league expands rosters to 22 or 24 players, I'm guessing any/all Courage picks will be Hail Mary shots: claiming the NWSL rights of some top college player everyone expects to go overseas, that sort of thing. Those last three picks could quite easily end up in the "PASS" column.
I know it's not my money but one of the biggest problems in the NWSL is no developmental slots in a tight roster. With each new year it becomes tougher and tougher to make a squad out of college or on the other end to keep ur career going when u r replaceable with a college kid for the minimum. The league really needs the added slots so they can take on college draft picks who aren't starters out of the gate without dropping an experienced player in the bargain.
"Needs" and "Can Afford" aren't always the same thing. Yeah, the NWSL is looking at matching the combined total number of seasons the WUSA and WPS had combined this year, but survival is still not a given over the long term. And while it helps to have richer investors, losing money is still losing money. And the Houston Dynamo aren't going to keep pouring resources into the Dash if it begins to affect the resources available to the Dynamo - much in the same way that the needs of the Patriots come before those of the Revolution. We'd love to see seven digit salary budgets/caps/limits for NWSL teams, but asking people to lose money on our hobby or passion is a quick way to killing the league. And if you add 4 or 6 or 8 slots to the 20, what do you pay those players? The current $15k minumum (and would that 60-120k be better spent making the 20 player first team players more likely to continue their careers) or do you want to return to subsistence wages like $1500/month during the season with little/no benefits? To an extent, most teams already have practice squad players. Trialists, local college (and even high school) players that come in for a week or two at a time. There are no easy answers. I certainly don't have them. And I don't think we're really going to see a lot of progress until the "federation player" designation goes away and all players are contracted directly with the league and its teams - and all the players in the league are covered under the league players union CBA.
The answer is baby steps. First thing u could do is require 20 contracts at all times on the active rosters instead of 18-20. Then u try adding two more spots or go 20-22 to allow the less well healed clubs wiggle room. If expansion is coming next year then this is a good year to push the rosters up a bit. A padded roster eases expansion a bit.