2023 NWSL Draft grades: Which teams did best?

On Thursday night, 2023 NWSL draft brought the youngest-ever draft choice in the event's history, 12 draft-night trades and teams desperate to load up their rosters in anticipation of this summer’s FIFA World Cup. 

It’s time to get out the report cards and sort through the good, the bad and everything in between. 

Angel City FC

Drafted: F Alyssa Thompson (No. 1), Angelina Anderson (No. 27)

This draft was bound to be a slam dunk from the minute Angel City acquired the rights to the top pick. Selecting Thompson officially cemented it as reality.

The 18-year-old out of Harvard-Westlake in Los Angeles is the youngest player ever drafted in the history of the league. She’s already made a pair of appearances for the USWNT, ran the second-fastest 100-meter dash in California history and will add a game-breaking, dynamic element to an Angel City attack desperate for it. 

Scooping up a quality goalkeeper in Anderson in round three is decent value as well, especially given Angel City had just DiDi Haračić rostered at the position coming into the night. 

Angel City’s draft night was extremely simple. They identified what they wanted, starting with a USWNT player, and they went and got it.

Grade: A

Kansas City Current

Drafted: F Michelle Cooper (No. 2), F Alex Spaanstra (No. 10), D/M Gabrielle Robinson (No. 15), G Jordan Silkowitz (No. 18), D Mykiaa Minniss (No. 35), D Ella Shamburger (No. 38), M Ryan Childers (No. 42), G Ashley Orkus (No. 47)

Cooper was always going to be the consolation prize that everyone not named Angel City FC wanted at No. 2, and the Current deserve plenty of credit for making the move to get her. Pairing her with a versatile attacker like Spaanstra makes a ton of sense moving forward, and your mind starts to run wild imagining how they’ll play alongside the likes of Debinha and a healthy Sam Mewis. 

While the stockpiling of attacking talent is undeniably exciting, Kansas City came into the draft needing to fill the void left behind by Kristen Edmonds. And while they got good late-round value in Minniss and Shamburger, the Current would have been well served to select one of the elite-level defensive prospects still on the board late in round one.

Final note: Watch out for Ashley Orkus. She was a brick wall for Ole Miss and the Rebels’ free-kick taker as well; she has arguably the highest ceiling of any goalkeeper in the class.

Grade: B+

Orlando Pride

Drafted: D Emily Madril (No. 3), F Messiah Bright (No. 21), D Tori Hansen (No. 25), M Summer Yates (No. 39), F Kristen Scott (No. 41) 

Value upon value upon value. 

Madril is arguably the best defensive prospect in the class, and before Cooper and Thompson had made their decisions, many had her mocked at the top spot. Hansen, along with Bright and Yates, were potential first-round talents coming into the night. 

Orlando made out like bandits, getting a 50-goal, 25-assist attacker in round two, one of the highest-ceiling defenders in the third, and a creative midfielder with extensive YNT experience in round four.

And to top it all off, they added a three-time All-AAC attacker from UCF in Scott who played her high school ball just three miles up the road from Exploria Stadium. The Pride drafted their center back pairing of the future, a prolific goalscorer, a pro-ready midfield string-puller and threw in a dash of home cookin’. 

Grade: A+

Gotham FC

Drafted: M Jenna Nighswonger (No. 4), D/M Iliana Hocking (No. 44)

The story of draft night for Gotham is equally about who they didn’t select as it is who they did. 

Of course, Nighswonger is certainly talented enough to render this night a success in hindsight. The former Seminole is the best creator in the class, racking up an NCAA second-best 16 assists this season at Florida State.

This team only scored 16 goals a season ago, and adding Nighswonger, Williams – for No. 2 overall – and Yazmeen Ryan – for No. 1 overall – will certainly raise that number in 2023.

Gotham undoubtedly improved its roster for next season, but time will tell if punting on this draft class, when so many others fought to get back in, ultimately pays off.

Grade: B

Portland Thorns

Drafted: D Reyna Reyes (No. 5), F Izzy D’Aquila (No. 12), F Lauren DeBeau (No. 24), G Lauren Kozal (No. 32)

Getting D’Aquila at No. 12 nearly warrants an A on its own, as it didn’t seem the Santa Clara product would last into the late first round. Reyes is in a class of her own among the fullbacks in this draft, so the two should provide depth and a glimpse at the future this season for the Thorns.

Portland is looking for reinforcements come World Cup time, and Reyes and D’Aquila should be that and much more this season. Sticking to the theme of depth, the Thorns snagged two pro-ready Spartans in DeBeau and Kozal in round three.

The most complete roster in the league might have its best World Cup insurance policy as well.

Grade: A

North Carolina Courage

Drafted: F Olivia Wingate (No. 6), D Sydney Collins (No. 8), M Clara Robbins (No. 9), F Haley Hopkins (No. 11)

The Courage win the award for most confusing draft of the night in a landslide.

North Carolina’s night was done at pick No. 11 after making four selections in round one, and trading away Diana Ordóñez – the 2022 Rookie of the Year finalist and member of the league’s Best XI – for pick No. 8 and a couple of other draft assets was ill-advised at best.

Time will ultimately hand the Courage their verdict, but Robbins was the only prospect with close to a consensus first-round grade. North Carolina passed on a handful of game-breakers all while sending away 23 goals scored from a season ago.

Grade: D

Chicago Red Stars

Drafted: F Penelope Hocking (No. 7), M Grace Yochum (No. 14), F Ally Schlegel (No. 23), M Sophie Jones (No. 43)

Chicago put on a masterclass in addressing its needs Thursday night, lightening Mallory Swanson’s playmaking load and restocking its midfield.

Hocking is a tenacious, versatile attacker who should play well off Swanson, and they reunite the best-attacking duo in the Big Ten with the addition of Schlegel in round two.

Yochum brings some height to a depleted midfield group, and Jones is one of the steals of the draft. The former Blue Devil was a consensus first-round prospect, and the Red Stars got her in round four.

Grade: A

San Diego Wave

Drafted: D/M Sierra Enge (No. 13), GK Lauren Brzykcy (No. 33), M Giovanna Demarco (No. 45)

San Diego already addressed defensive midfield this offseason with the addition of Danny Colaprico, which makes reaching for Enge at No. 13 even more perplexing. But, hey, far be it from me to doubt the Wave bringing in a defensive-minded player from Stanford.

But for a team that relied so heavily on Alex Morgan to score the goals a season ago, you would have liked to see them address the position, especially with the likes of Messiah Bright, Nicole Douglas, Ally Schlegel and Lauren DeBeau still on the board.

Grade: C

Racing Louisville FC

Drafted: F Kayla Fischer (No. 16), D'M Brianna Martinez (No. 17), F Jadyn Edwards (No. 29), F Riley Mattingly Parker (No. 31)

Louisville clearly needed to shore up the backline Thursday night, and while trading out of round one as a rebuilding team isn’t ideal, it was clear Madril was their target. Once she was gone, they felt the defensive value was no longer there at No. 4. Agree or not, the process is a sound one.

On the flip side, I love that Racing took swings on three talented forwards with plenty of upside. And scooping up Parker – mocked as high as No. 6 – in round three is the best value pick in the entire draft.

Grade: B+

OL Reign

Drafted: D Shae Holmes (No. 19), M Natalie Viggiano (No. 46)

The reigning NWSL Shield winners were relatively quiet on draft night, adding a pair of pro-caliber prospects to help cover come World Cup time. 

Holmes was an All-Pac-12 defender at Washington – playing just 20 minutes from Lumen Field – and Viggiano’s efforts for Wisconsin landed her on the All-Big Ten First Team. 

Oh, and then it turns out they did this: 

Grade: A-

Houston Dash

Drafted: M Sophie Hirst (No. 20), D Jylissa Harris (No. 22), D Lindsi Jennings (No. 36), D Madelyn Desiano (No. 48)

Diana Ordóñez was selected with the No. 6 overall pick in last year’s draft, and immediately outperformed that draft position in the 2022 season. Acquiring her for the No. 8 pick in the draft is a masterful piece of business from the Dash and cemented the night as an A before they ever made a selection.

Houston then followed it up by addressing its needs both in midfield and defense. Hirst was a staple on the All-Ivy teams at Harvard and should serve as a solid depth piece. Getting a first-round talent in Harris late in the second is tremendous value, and Jennings and Desiano are quality late-round depth pieces.

The Dash made a splash without surrendering essential draft capital that allowed them to comprehensively tackle the demands of its roster. 

Grade: A+

READ MORE: Analysis: Ordonez trade headlines prudent draft night for Dash

Washington Spirit

Drafted: F Nicole Douglas (No. 26), G Lyza Bosselmann (No. 28), M Riley Tanner (No. 30), F Lena Silano (No. 34), F Civana Kuhlmann (No. 37), D/M/F Delaney Graham (No. 40)

Washington was the master of the transaction Thursday, beginning the proceedings with just two picks and ending the night with six to go along with an additional 2024 first-rounder. 

For a side that struggled mightily with injuries and international absences, the sheer volume of additions is a job well done. Douglas is a proven goal-scorer and great third-round value, and Silano and Kuhlmann add to offensive depth. 

While Graham is an incredible outside back value at No. 40, the Spirit would have been well served to take another dip into the fullback pool given their needs at the position – none of the three fullbacks who played on the 2021 title team remain. 

Grade: A-