With the expansion draft a little over two weeks away, reality sets in after the giddiness of the championship. Whom do you protect? And with Rampone expecting, do you need to keep an extra defender on board until she returns to the team? Here's my guess: Branam Rampone Asante Dowling Schnur Averbuch O'Reilly White Rosana Kai That leaves Buczkowski, Sitch, Parker, McCallum, Francielle, Hanks, and Bardsley, all of whom have started games this year, unprotected. They also have the rights to Renata Costa from the Hanks/Francielle deal. Wow, tough choices for the next round. I'm not even going to guess.
I like your list but most were obvious choices. The other players I would have trouble parting with are Bardsley, Parker. and Sitch. I have been to 8 home games and what I could catch on TV. Sitch may be small but she is all heart and comes to play.
If I understand correctly from reading other threads, to protect a player, the team needs to sign her to a new contract. If not signed, the player become a free agent and is not subject to the expansion draft. In general, some playes have contract options for next season that the team can exercise, while most players do not. Development players are free agents. So, its possible that NJ (and other teams) will have less than 16 signed players and therefore less than 10 protected players as each team need to have a minimum 6 unprotected players but can lose only a maximum of 3 players. Don't forget Alexander (she only was NJ's #1 draft pick) as a possible unprotected player.
I expected Alexander to be unprotected along with French, Kesellica, Hooker, and Sesselman. The difference between those five and the ones I listed previously, is that I don't expect any of them to be protected after one or two players are chosen from the team. Alexander may have been the number one draft choice, but she was definitely third string at the end of the season. The irony of that is she's probably more likely to stay with the team than Bardsley, who I think could be taken in the draft. Stepup, I agree that the list of 10 I posted seems pretty obvious. Though you never know, they could do something surprising. Question is, who do you protect after someone is taken? How about coming up with the next five (assuming two are chosen and three are protected) and the order you'd rank them? Do you lock up Sitch and Buczkowski because they can play in back? Do you keep Bardsley since she did so well when she did get to play? Do you keep Hanks since they're thin at striker? Do you keep Francielle because she's young and impressed at the end of the season? Do you keep the rights to Renata Costa and hope that she can be convinced to come to the US?
When I said obvious I meant it was a list I would have gone with myself. I hope you didn't take my comment as a slight. I guess there are to many unanswered questions. Your bringing up Hanks, Francielle, and Renata Costa makes it even harder because in my opinion they remain an unknown. I really don't have the answer. Any number of teams would grab Bardsley, Sitch, or Buczkowski. What I am happy about is that who ever leaves the team goes with a first year WPS Championship and a cinderella story. Did you see the Hooker fans at the final? No joke intended.
Any word on the coaching search? Or any news from the francise at all? Barring one of the 10 on moog's list being a free agent (and therefore not able to be protected), I'd say that list is what I'd do, too.