Ahead of the 2024 season, teams chose the best women's soccer players in the U.S. college system, with expansion side Utah Royals picking first
A new year means another NWSL Draft, with the 2024 edition the biggest yet as the Utah Royals and Bay FC prepare to enter the top women's soccer league in the United States.
A total of 56 picks were made in January as the most exciting talents in the U.S. college system were chosen by the NWSL's 14 teams, the most the league has ever had.
As expansion sides, the Royals and Bay FC were first up as the pair continued building rosters that they added to significantly in the NWSL Expansion Draft in December.
History was made in the 2023 Draft when Alyssa Thompson became not only the youngest ever player to be selected No.1 overall, but the youngest pick of all time, too. A teenager followed in her footsteps, too, as Ally Sentnor was chosen first off the board by the Utah Royals in the 2024 edition.
GOAL has all you need to know about the 2024 NWSL Draft, including who was chosen and the order of selection…
The 2024 NWSL Draft took place on Friday, January 12, 2024. It was held during the United Soccer Coaches Convention at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California, and began at 8pm ET.
Advertisement
How to watch the NWSL Draft 2024
The 2024 NWSL Draft was live on ION, with programming scheduled from 8pm to 10pm ET. All rounds of the draft were also live streamed on ION Plus. The NWSL made the event available for overseas viewers on its website, too.
Who was the No.1 pick in the NWSL Draft 2024?
Ally Sentnor was chosen by the Utah Royals as the No.1 overall pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft. Sentnor, still only 19 years old, was a nominee for U.S. Soccer's 2023 Young Female Player of the Year award and has shown plenty of promise in her time with the North Carolina Tar Heels and the U.S. youth teams.
Another teenage Tar Heel followed her on the board, with Savannah King chosen at No.2 by Bay FC. The 18-year-old is a very promising young centerback who played more minutes in her freshman season than anyone else in the North Carolina team.
Creative midfielder Croix Bethune was expected to be in the mix for the top pick, too, and she was chosen at No.3 by the Washington Spirit, who traded Sam Staab to the Chicago Red Stars just a few hours before the draft in order to get that pick.
Five senior internationals were chosen in this draft, too: Bermuda's LeiLanni Nesbeth went to the Chicago Red Stars in round one, Jamaica's Kiki Van Zanten was chosen by the Houston Dash in round two, Canada's Zoe Burns went to the Utah Royals in round three, Puerto Rico's Cristina Roque also joined the Royals in the same round and Tonga's Laveni Vaka was selected by Bay FC with the penultimate pick in the draft.
2024 NWSL Draft order and picks
Round/Pick
Player
Position
NWSL team
College
1/1
Ally Sentnor
Midfielder
Utah Royals
North Carolina
1/2
Savy King
Defender
Bay FC
North Carolina
1/3
Croix Bethune
Midfielder
Washington Spirit
Georgia
1/4
Brecken Mozingo
Forward
Utah Royals
BYU
1/5
Hal Hershfelt
Midfielder
Washington Spirit
Clemson
1/6
Reilyn Turner
Forward
Racing Louisville
UCLA
1/7
Kate Wiesner
Defender
Washington Spirit
Penn State
1/8
Maya Doms
Midfielder
Bay FC
Stanford
1/9
Ally Lemos
Midfielder
Orlando Pride
UCLA
1/10
LeiLanni Nesbeth
Midfielder
Chicago Red Stars
Florida State
1/11
Payton Linnehan
Forward
Portland Thorns
Penn State
1/12
Kennedy Wesley
Defender
San Diego Wave
Stanford
1/13
Makenna Morris
Defender
Washington Spirit
Clemson
1/14
Maycee Bell
Defender
Gotham
North Carolina
2/15
Jameese Joseph
Forward
Chicago Red Stars
NC State
2/16
Lauren Flynn
Defender
Utah Royals
Florida State
2/17
Sam Meza
Midfielder
Seattle Reign
North Carolina
2/18
Ellie Wheeler
Defender
Kansas City Current
Penn State
2/19
Avery Patterson
Forward
Houston Dash
North Carolina
2/20
Olivia Smith-Griffitts
Defender
Utah Royals
BYU
2/21
Kiki Van Zanten
Forward
Houston Dash
Notre Dame
2/22
Cori Dyke
Midfielder
Orlando Pride
Penn State
2/23
Olivia Wade-Katoa
Midfielder
Portland Thorns
BYU
2/24
Natalia Staude
Defender
North Carolina Courage
Virginia
2/25
Kelsey Kaufusi
Defender
Portland Thorns
Utah State
2/26
Emma Jaskaniec
Midfielder
Utah Royals
Wisconsin
2/27
Maddie Mercado
Forward
Seattle Reign
Notre Dame
2/28
Emma Sears
Forward
Racing Louisville
Ohio State
3/29
Zoe Burns
Defender
Utah Royals
USC
3/30
Jamie Shepherd
Midfielder
Bay FC
BYU
3/31
Hannah Anderson
Defender
Chicago Red Stars
Texas Tech
3/32
Halle Mackiewicz
Goalkeeper
Kansas City Current
Clemson
3/33
Cristina Roque
Goalkeeper
Utah Royals
Florida State
3/34
Caroline Conti
Midfielder
Bay FC
Clemson
3/35
Anna Podojil
Forward
Washington Spirit
Arkansas
3/36
Amanda West
Forward
Houston Dash
Pittsburgh
3/37
Felicia Knox
Midfielder
Angel City
Alabama
3/38
Heather Hinz
Goalkeeper
Houston Dash
South Carolina
3/39
Kat Asman
Goalkeeper
Portland Thorns
Penn State
3/40
Julia Dorsey
Defender
North Carolina Courage
North Carolina
3/41
Bea Franklin
Midfielder
Chicago Red Stars
Arkansas
3/42
Mya Jones
Forward
San Diego Wave
Memphis
4/43
Makena Carr
Midfielder
Seattle Reign
Saint Mary's
4/44
Jessica Garziano
Midfielder
Angel City
St. John's
4/45
Celia Gaynor
Midfielder
Chicago Red Stars
Michigan State
4/46
Hope Hisey
Goalkeeper
Kansas City Current
Arizona
4/47
Alyssa Bourgeois
Defender
Houston Dash
Santa Clara
4/48
Sam Cary
Defender
Racing Louisville
Iowa
4/49
Courtney Brown
Midfielder
Washington Spirit
Utah
4/50
Alex Kerr
Forward
Orlando Pride
Texas Tech
4/51
Madi Curry
Defender
Angel City
Princeton
4/52
Landy Mertz
Forward
North Carolina Courage
Pittsburgh
4/53
Katie Duong
Midfielder
Portland Thorns
Stanford
4/54
Madison White
Goalkeeper
Racing Louisville
Texas Tech
4/55
Laveni Vaka
Defender
Bay FC
BYU
4/56
Talia Gabarra
Midfielder
Orlando Pride
UCF
This is the first key event of 2024 for the NWSL, with the season's official start date March 15.
