The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) will host its 10^th  annual NWSL Draft this Saturday with the addition of two new clubs – Angel City FC and San Diego Wave. Of the 189 collegiate athletes who have registered for this draft, 83 players made their mark in the WPSL over the last four seasons.  Among this elite group features representation from 74 WPSL teams with Chicago Red Star Reserves (5), NJ/NY Gotham Reserves (4) and Nashville Rhythm (3) leading with multiple players registered.
 

Front runners to watch include Motor City FC’s Jaelin Howell (pictured below) who played in the 2019 WPSL Season   where they made it to the WPSL Championship Semi-Finals before falling to Utah Royals Reserves on penalties. Since her time in the WPSL, Howell has earned two caps with the United States Women’s Soccer Team (USWNT), became a two-time National Champion with Florida State, and won the 2020 Mac Hermann Trophy.

 

 

Other WPSL standouts registered for the NWSL Draft include Hope Breslin (NJ/NY Gotham Reserves), Natalie Beckman (Colorado Rapids Women), and Peyton DePriest (Nashville Rhythm). All three earned WPSL All-Conference honors for the 2021 WPSL Season.
 

Breslin (pictured below,left) helped Gotham Reserves claim the 2021 Metropolitan South Division title in its first WPSL season. Scoring five goals with one assist, Breslin also earned Offensive Player of the Year honors for the Metropolitan South Division.

 

   

 

In her second season with the Colorado Rapids Women, Beckman (pictured above, right) led her team and tied for third in league states with six assists. The Rapids Women finished the 2021 season undefeated with a 8-0-1 record and winning the Mountain Conference. Beckman earned individual accolades of her own as she was awarded 2021 Mountain Conference Offensive Player of the Year.

Other 2021 WPSL alumnae hoping to hear their names include Carolinas Southern Division Goalkeeper of the Year, Gabby Kouzelos of the Charlotte Eagles, Real Central NJ’s Tatum Gee, who earned WPSL All-Conference honors with two goals and two assists, So Cal Coastal Division Offensive Player of the Year, Marley Canales of So Cal Union FC, and Red River Northern Division Defensive Player of the Year Charmé Morgan of Tulsa SC.
 

With 50 draft picks scheduled to be made, it can be predicated that several selections will feature WPSL alumnae as 55 percent of the draft picks since 2018 played in the WPSL – full breakdown below.

The 2022 NWSL Draft can be live streamed on Saturday December 18, 2021 via Paramount+, the CBS Sports HQ Twitch channel, CBS Sports HQ, and NWSL Youtube channels from 2-4 PM, E.T. 
 

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2021 NWSL Draft

21 Players Drafted played in WPSL
First Round Selections: 4
Highest Selection: 6^th pick – Yazmeen Ryan (OKC FC)

 

2020 NWSL Draft

17 Players Drafted played in WPSL
First Round Selections: 3
Highest Selection: 2^nd pick – Morgan Weaver (Sounders Women)

 

2019 NWSL Draft

23 Players Drafted played in WPSL
First Round Selections: 6
Highest Selection: 2^nd Pick – Hailie Mace (SoCal FC)

 

2018 NWSL Draft

24 Players Drafted played in WPSL
First Round Selections: 4
Highest Selection: 4^th Pick – Michaela Abam (Colorado Pride)

 

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