The 2024 NWSL Draft presented by Ally was the twelfth annual meeting of National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) franchises to select from a list of amateur players above the age of 18 playing in the United States who exhausted, lost, or renounced any remaining
collegiate eligibility.[1] It was held on January 12, 2024, at the 2024
United Soccer Coaches Convention in
Anaheim, California and broadcast by
ION.
Expansion sides
Utah Royals and
Bay FC held the first and second overall picks respectively.
Ally Sentnor was selected by
Utah Royals with the first overall pick. It was the first time Utah Royals had selected first and the third time a player out of
North Carolina was selected first.[2]
Format
All 14 teams of the
National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) took turns making their selections over four rounds, with 14 picks per round. Draft order in each round was determined by the reverse order of the final
2023 regular season standings, with the exceptions being
Utah Royals and
Bay FC taking the first two selections as expansion teams and the two teams that contested the 2023 Championship game,
Seattle Reign FC (formerly OL Reign) and
NJ/NY Gotham FC, taking the last two selections.
The final list of players eligible for selection was released on January 9, 2024. 230 players representing 138 schools declared for the draft.[3]
Gaining the first choice in the asset selection process through a random generator, Utah Royals selected priority in the NWSL Draft. As a result, Utah received pick No. 1 in both the first and third rounds of the draft, while Bay will select first in rounds two and four. By virtue, Bay were given the first pick in the
2024 NWSL Expansion Draft.[4]
Ion Television covered the draft domestically. International broadcast was available on the NWSL website.
^Houston Dash → North Carolina Courage → Washington Spirit.
Washington Spirit acquired the No.5 pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft and $250,000 in allocation money in exchange for
Ashley Sanchez.[7]North Carolina Courage previously acquired the No. 8 pick in the 2023 NWSL Draft, the natural first-round pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft, a 2023 international spot, and $100,000 in allocation money from
Houston Dash in exchange for
Diana Ordoñez and the No. 30 pick in the 2023 NWSL Draft.[8]
^Orlando Pride → Bay FC.
Bay FC acquired
Orlando Pride natural first round pick (No. 8) in the 2024 NWSL Draft in exchange for $50,000 in allocation money and protection in the
2024 NWSL Expansion Draft from
Bay FC[9]
^Angel City FC → Orlando Pride.
Orlando Pride acquired the natural first round pick in the 2024 draft, $75,000 in allocation money, and additional allocation money pending conditions met from
Angel City FC in exchange for
Sydney Leroux.[10]
^North Carolina Courage → Chicago Red Stars.
Chicago Red Stars acquired the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft in exhange
North Carolina Courage acquired $175,000 in allocation money. [11]
^Bay FC → Racing Louisville FC → Chicago Red Stars.
Chicago Red Stars acquired the No. 15 pick and $125,000 in allocation money from
Racing Louisville FC in exchange for
Arin Wright.[13]Racing Louisville FC previously acquired the natural second round pick for the 2024 NWSL Draft and
2024 NWSL Expansion Draft protection from
Bay FC in exchange for its 2024 NWSL Draft natural third round pick and $235,000 in Alternate Allocation Money [14]
^Chicago Red Stars → Seattle Reign FC.
Seattle Reign FC acquired the No. 17 overall pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft in exhange
Chicago Red Stars acquired $125,000 in allocation money. [15]
^Racing Louisville FC → Washington Spirit → Utah Royals.
Utah Royals acquired the natural second-round picks from
Washington Spirit in exchange for 2024 expansion draft protection.[16]Washington Spirit had previously acquired the natural second-round pick and a conditional third-round pick if she reaches 10 appearances in 2024, from
Racing Louisville FC in exchange for
Jordan Baggett.[17]
^Washington Spirit → Utah Royals → Houston Dash.
Houston Dash acquired the No. 21 overall pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft from
Utah Royals in exchange for $120,000 in allocation money.[18]Utah Royals previously acquired the natural second-round picks from
Washington Spirit in exchange for 2024 expansion draft protection.[16]
^Houston Dash → Portland Thorns FC →
Utah Royals.
Utah Royals acquired the No. 33 pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft and Hannah Betfort from
Portland Thorns in exchange for protection in the
2024 NWSL Expansion Draft.
Portland Thorns FC had previously acquired the natural third-round pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft and $10,000 in allocation money from
Houston Dash in exchange for the No. 48 pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft.[23][24]
^Racing Louisville FC → Bay FC.
Bay FC acquired the natural third round pick of
Racing Louisville in the 2024 NWSL Draft and $235,000 in Alternate Allocation Money for its natural second round pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft and protection in the
2024 NWSL Expansion Draft[14]
^Orlando Pride → Houston Dash.
Houston Dash acquired the natural third-round pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft from
Orlando Pride and the rights to
Courtney Petersen in exchange for $65,000 in allocation money.[25]
^North Carolina Courage → Houston Dash.
Houston Dash acquired the No.38 pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft, from
North Carolina Courage in exchange for the No. 40 pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft and $10,000 in allocation money.[26]
^San Diego Wave FC → Houston Dash → North Carolina Courage.
North Carolina Courage acquired the No. 40 pick and $10,000 in allocation money in exchange for the No. 38 pick.
Houston Dash previously acquired a natural third round pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft for $60,000 in allocation money and
Belle Briede in exchange
San Diego Wave FC acquired
Sierra Enge.[27]
^Seattle Reign FC → Chicago Red Stars.
Chicago Red Stars acquired the natural third-round pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft, a 2023 international roster spot, and the No. 23 pick in the
2023 NWSL Draft from
Seattle Reign FC in exchange for the No. 19 pick in the
2023 NWSL Draft.[28]
^Bay FC → Seattle Reign FC.
Seattle Reign FC acquired the No.43 overall pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft from
Bay FC in exchange for the No. 55 pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft and $75,000 in allocation money.[30]
^Utah Royals → Angel City FC.
Angel City FC acquired the No.44 overall pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft from
Utah Royals in exchange for $15,000 in allocation money.[31]
^San Diego Wave FC → Racing Louisville FC .
Racing Louisville FC acquired $40,000 in allocation money and the No.54 overall pick from
San Diego Wave FC in exchange for the No.42 pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft. [32]
^Seattle Reign FC → Bay FC.
Bay FC acquired the No.55 overall pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft and $75,000 in allocation money from
Seattle Reign FC in exchange for the No. 43 pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft.[33]
^NJ/NY Gotham FC → Orlando Pride.
Orlando Pride acquired the natural fourth-round pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft and $350,000 in allocation money from
NJ/NY Gotham FC in exchange for the No. 2 pick in the
2023 NWSL Draft.[34]
Summary
In 2024, a total of 30 colleges had players selected. Of these, five had a player drafted to the NWSL for the first time:
Iowa,
Memphis,
Pittsburgh,
Saint Mary's and
Utah State. The draft also saw
North Carolina equal the record for most selections from a school in a draft with six.[35]
Round 3 (conditional), Racing Louisville FC → Washington Spirit.
Washington Spirit acquired the natural second-round pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft, and a conditional third-round draft pick in the 2025 NWSL Draft if she reaches 10 appearances in 2024, from
Racing Louisville FC in exchange for
Jordan Baggett.[17]