The Striker's 2023 NWSL mock draft

The 2023 NWSL Draft is back in person Thursday night, with teams preparing to select players from what's arguably the most talented draft class in league history. The Philadelphia Convention Center is the site, as 48 players across four rounds will hear their name called, officially stamping the beginning of their professional careers. 

The draft will air live in its entirety on Paramount+ and CBS Sports HQ at 6 p.m. ET with CBS Sports Network picking up the first hour of the proceedings as well.

We’ve already seen plenty of movement, and while we expect plenty more to come on draft night, here are rounds one and two as the draft order presently stands. (And, if you want to compare notes, the league has issued its own mock draft, departing a bit from how we see it. 

First round

1. Angel City FC (via Gotham FC)

Alyssa Thompson (F, Harvard-Westlake High School)

Angel City paid a steep price – both in currency and in draft assets – to move up to the No. 1 spot, and reports indicate they plan to cash in the chips for Thompson. The 18-year-old owns the second-fastest 100-meter dash in California history, and she’ll bring that level of dynamism to an Angel City attack that often fell stagnant last season.

It’s a match made in draft heaven. Thompson de-committed from Stanford to chase a spot on the upcoming World Cup roster, and Angel City is looking for a star to light up the Banc for years to come.

2. Gotham FC (via Washington Spirit, then Orlando Pride)

Michelle Cooper (F, Duke)

Cooper, the consensus No. 1 pick prior to Thompson's entry into the draft, is hardly a consolation prize at No. 2. Arguably the greatest player in the history of Duke soccer, Cooper led the Power Five in both goals and assists in 2022 en route to taking home the MAC Hermann Trophy. 

After managing a league-worst 16 goals a season ago, Gotham can plug the versatile Cooper into a revamped attack that includes Midge Purce, Ify Onumonu and recent addition Yazmeen Ryan

3. Orlando Pride

Emily Madril (D, Florida State/BK Hacken)

This is where the draft really begins, as Orlando could go a number of different directions here. Adding an attacking game-breaker could be tempting, but Orlando conceded 45 times last season – more than all but one team in the league. Shoring up its defense should be priority No. 1, and they’ll have their pick of a talented litter of center backs to do it. 

Madril is currently playing in Sweden, and her defensive positioning is second to none in this draft class. The former national champion’s ability on the ball will also help buoy an Orlando side that often struggled to relieve pressure at the back. 

4. Racing Louisville

Tori Hansen (D, North Carolina)

Similar to Orlando ahead of them, Racing need reinforcements at the back. Katie Lund saved 30 more shots than any other goalkeeper in the league last season, a number that must come down if Louisville is going to make a push for its first-ever playoff berth.

Hasnen’s ability to dominate in the air helped anchor North Carolina’s backline to this year’s College Cup Final, and the first-team All-American led all Power Five defenders with eight goals. Racing used a pair of first-round picks for a midfield makeover in 2022, and Hansen offers them much-needed protection and connection.

5. Portland Thorns (via Angel City FC) 

Izzy D’Aquila (F, Santa Clara)

It’s almost unfair that D’Aquila could fall into the defending champs' laps at No. 5, but assuming Orlando goes defense, it’s likely she will. D’Aquila is a natural goal-scorer in every sense of the word, tallying 50 goals in her college career.

The MAC Hermann semifinalist can score from anywhere, and is just as good at getting her own shot as she is at finding spaces to be set up for one. Portland is looking for reinforcements come World Cup time this summer, and D’Aquila is an absolute steal in this spot. 

6. North Carolina Courage 

Riley Mattingly Parker (F/M, Alabama)

With the recent departure of Debinha, North Carolina is tasked with filling the 16-goal contribution-sized hole left behind among others. With two more picks in the the first round, the Courage can take its fair share of swings, starting with Parker here.

Parker spearheaded one of the best attacks in the country, pouring in 17 goals with seven assists in just 26 games to lead Alabama to the College Cup for the first time. Her ability to find the back of the net while also setting the table for others makes Parker the best fit for North Carolina.

7. Chicago Red Stars

Jenna Nighswonger (MF, Florida State)

The Red Stars need midfielders, emphasis on the plural, with the departures of Vanessa DiBernardo, Danielle Colaprico and Morgan Gautrat. Nighswonger is the best creator in the class, and there’s a decent chance she’ll be selected before Chicago ever gets its chance. But if she's still here at 7, she most certainly won't drop further than this.

Nighswonger racked up the second-most assists in the NCAA this season with 16, and was recognized as a finalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy. 

8. Houston Dash

Messiah Bright (F, TCU)

While the Dash must address other positions, none are pressing enough to deter them from taking a high-ceiling swing on Bright here at No. 8. Bright hit the 50 goal mark while also dishing out 25 assists during her five years in Fort Worth, and she can create on the ball, and is deadly in transition. (Note: If the Dash do feel the defense needs shoring up, the next pick on this list could be wearing orange instead of Bright.) 

9. North Carolina Courage (via San Diego Wave)

Reyna Reyes (D, Alabama)

Reyes might be a top-five talent in this draft, but with so many attack-needy teams ahead of them, the Courage can afford to wait until No. 9 to find an outside back to play opposite Carson Pickett. 

Reyes has already made her senior team debut for Mexico, and as the best fullback in this draft, she provides much-needed quality on the outside at both ends of the field.

10. Kansas City Current (via OL Reign then Gotham FC)

Jylissa Harris (D, South Carolina)

After falling one win shy of the NWSL title, the Current have reloaded in free agency – mostly with the addition of Debinha. But with Kristen Edmonds on her way to New York, Kansas City needs shore up the left side of its back three. Harris anchored a South Carolina backline that conceded just 15 times while also flashing her creativity as the Gamecocks’ set piece taker.

11. North Carolina Courage (via Kansas City Current) 

Sophie Jones (M, Duke)

After going with an attacker and an outside back with its first two picks, the Courage can turn to its porous defensive midfield with its final choice in round one. There isn’t anyone in this draft better at controlling the tempo of a game than Jones, and her versatility in the middle of the park gives North Carolina the ability to shift a formation around her.

12. Portland Thorns

Jordan Brewster (D, West Virginia)

After taking the best player available at No. 5, Portland should go need-specific with its second first-rounder. Becky Sauerbrunn will turn 38 in June and she’ll miss time with the USWNT this summer at the World Cup. Brewster has YNT experience and was All-Big 12 in each of her five college seasons.

She’ll provide the Thorns with both short-term and long-term insurance as the Thorns begin to prepare for life after Sauerbrunn.

Second round

13. Gotham FC

Penelope Hocking (F, Penn State)

Just a reminder (again) that this team scored just 16 goals a season ago, so they could use another bite at this draft’s attacking apple. 

Hocking finished her career as the NCAA active career leader in goals scored with 61, and after becoming USC’s all-time leading goal-scorer, she transferred to Penn State where she led the Big Ten in assists with 11 this season.

14. Chicago Red Stars (via Washington Spirit)

Alex Spaanstra (F, Virginia)

Since Croix Bethune and Maya Doms did not declare, the midfield pool flattens out a bit after Nighswonger, meaning the Red Stars can afford to look elsewhere here. Spaanstra tallied 37 goals and 34 assists in her Cavalier career and can play out wide on either side of the field. Chicago needs to lighten Mallory Swanson’s playmaking load – looming World Cup or not – and Spaanstra should do just that.

15. Kansas City Current (via Orlando Pride)

Chaylyn Hubbard (D, TCU)

The Current have already added to the championship-level roster they’re bringing back for the 2023 season, so the draft is its chance to stockpile defensive depth. While Kansas City rolled with a back three for much of last season, should the Current wish to experiment, Hubbard offers that flexibility as the draft’s second-best fullback.

16. Racing Louisville 

Nicole Douglas (F, Arizona State)

With back-to-back picks near the top of the second round, Racing can continue to shore up at the back while also swinging for some goal-scoring punch. Douglas hit the 60-goal mark during her Sun Devil career, banging in 14 goals in 18 games this season to drag Arizona State to the NCAA Tournament.

17. Racing Louisville (via Angel City then OL Reign)

Mykiaa Minniss (D, Washington State)

Louisville should then go need-based with this selection to bring in more defensive reinforcements. The best ability is availability, especially in a sport with a calendar that’s only getting more crowded. 

Minniss started 92 games at center back for Washington State, captaining the Cougars through the most successful run in program history, including the school’s first-ever College Cup appearance in 2019. 

18. Kansas City Current (via North Carolina Courage)

Haley Hopkins (F, Virginia)

After some moves in free agency, Kansas City boasts one of the more terrifying attacks in the league, but that’s contingent upon the health of Lynn Williams and Sam Mewis. Hopkins has a knack for getting in dangerous positions, and she will not be out-muscled to a ball. With six seasons of college soccer under her belt, Hopkins is a pro-ready prospect who offers the Current with desperately needed injury and World Cup depth.

19. Chicago Red Stars

Clara Robbins (M, Florida State)

There’s a chance Robbins doesn’t make it to No. 19, although that likely means the midfielder-hungry Red Stars scooped her up earlier in the proceedings. Robbins can do it all from midfield and enters the league as a pro-ready winner, spending seven seasons in Tallahassee – a stretch that saw the Seminoles win a pair of championships and appear in four College Cups. 

20. Houston Dash

Summer Yates (M, Washington)

The Dash could use a dash of creativity in the center of the park, and after taking the best player available in Bright (or Reyes) at No. 8, that’s what they’ll address in round two. 

Yates has extensive YNT experience and landed on an All-Pac-12 team – including three straight first teams – in four of her five seasons in Seattle.

21. Orlando Pride (via San Diego Wave)

Ally Schlegel (F, Penn State)

The 2022 Big Ten leader in goals racked up double-digit goals in each of her four seasons in State College while also reaching the 20 career assist mark. Schlegel is also proven in the biggest moments, finding the back of the net twice – including the match-winner, in the Big Ten Tournament Championship.

22. Houston Dash (via OL Reign then Orlando Pride)

Sydney Collins (D, Cal)

Especially in a World Cup year, the ability to survive a center back injury is crucial, and that’s what Collins gives Houston. On a much improved Cal team in 2022, Collins anchored a Golden Bear backline that conceded at the third-lowest rate in the Pac-12 – a conference that included Stanford and eventual national champs UCLA.

23. Kansas City Current

Ruby Diodati (D, Michigan State)

Defense. Defense. Defense. The Current get to shore up defense at No. 23 with the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. Diodati – like the other stars of this Michigan State team – didn’t grow up in the YNT system, but blossomed into tremendous talents to bring the Spartans just their second-ever Big Ten title.

24. Portland Thorns

Emma Regan (M, Texas)

World Cup reinforcements and depth are the theme of this draft for the Thorns, and the addition of Regan ensures Portland covers the whole field in the opening two rounds. 

Regan is a three-time All-Big 12 honoree and has already cracked into the senior Canadian National Team.