Breaking Down the 2015 NWSL Draft

Dec 5, 2014; Boca Raton, FL, USA; Stanford Cardinal forward Chioma Ubogagu (9) watches her shot head towards the goal in the second half against the Florida State Seminoles at FAU Stadium. Florida State defeated Stanford 2-0 to advance to the finals. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports

2015 NWSL Draft Third and Fourth Round

After a league timeout, FCKC kicked off the third round by trading the 19th overall pick to Washington for two second-round picks in 2016; the Spirit then picked up Caprice Dydasco (UCLA). With her, Washington has a dangerous and explosive outside back with an impressive 23 career assists in Los Angeles. Another defender came off the board at the #20 spot, where Boston drafted Samantha Lofton (James Madison), a former Washington Spirit reserve whose versatility, tall build, and natural left-footedness makes her rather competent playing up top.

Next came a two-time All-American keeper, South Carolina’s Sabrina D’Angelo, whisked away at #21 by a Flash team with more than a few questions in goal. Another left-footer, she’s got quickness and 29 career shutouts, and was named SEC defender of the year twice. Sky Blue then took Daphne Corboz (Georgetown) at #22, a good midfielder who’s great at taking corner kicks, followed by Chicago’s acquisition of Cara Walls (Wisconsin). Walls is a forward who is pretty good in the air, and can slip through defenders to create opportunities for herself or her teammates.

Another personal favorite, Biana Brinson (Texas A&M) went to Boston at the 24th spot. She’s one of the faster forwards in this draft, and is great at putting headers in goal and delivering fabulous-looking crosses, but her relatively low shot conversion rate explains how she ended up going in the third round. Sky Blue took Shade Pratt (Maryland) at #25, a defender who isn’t afraid of big moments and has had the most success at right back.

Attacking mid Jessica Ayers (Colorado College) went to FCKC, a good runner who makes life hard for back lines and who’s got some U23 experience. And to close out the third round, Chicago took defender/midfielder and Canadian international Nicole Setterlund (Washington State).

"“Cara (Walls) was always a target for us in the third round because she fits in very well with the forwards we have. We didn’t think Nicole (Setterlund) would actually be there at that point. I think she fell under the radar a bit, but she has a chance to be a very, very good player in the midfield for us. The fact she can also play in the back is obviously to her advantage.” (Chicago head coach Rory Dames)"

The final round of the 2015 NWSL draft was a sigh of relief for Stanford forwards Chioma Ubogagu and Lo’eau LaBonta, both of whom were taken by Sky Blue at the 28th and 34th overall picks, respectively. Ubogagu can sometimes struggle to find the back of the net, but her intelligence on the ball and speed should see returns if she’s well-developed in a professional environment. LaBonta, who has the best surname in the league, is a fun playmaker to watch and can be surprisingly effective from distance.

Boston had a couple of picks in the fourth as well, taking forward Stephanie Verdoia (Seattle University) and defender Bianca Calderone (Northeastern) at #29 and #33. Verdoia is a self-creator who may need some work to combine well with other players up top, but she’s highly athletic and netted 22 goals and 13 assists last season. Calderone is a consistently great passer, but she might be better suited for defensive midfielder in the pros.

Penn State defender Whitney Church was somehow still available in the fourth round, so Washington added to their now-five-strong PSU contingent (Ali Krieger, Joanna Lohman, Christine Nairn, and Tiffany Weimer). A super-intelligent defender, Church can get beaten by particularly determined attackers, of which she’ll face plenty in the NWSL, but she’s another great passing back and can do impressive things in the air.

At #31, Houston took defender Carleigh Williams (UCF), a good defensive organizer. Chicago grabbed forward Rachel Tejada (Illinois State) at #32, a forward who put up great numbers (54 career goals, 31 career assists). Midfielder Kaysie Clark (Missouri), who went to Kansas City at #35 overall, loves to dish the ball out to her teammates, and can hold it with ferocity. And with the final pick, Seattle took defender Kendall Romine (Stanford), a smart outside back who will have plenty of experience around her to guide her development.

So, to wrap things up, Houston decided to do what was expected with the first pick, UCLA cleaned house, Washington may know something about Jodie Taylor’s long-term plans that Portland doesn’t, that U23 camp may have been good for something after all, and Chicago proved they are the most cunning in the league at draft-day strategy. I’ll be back on Saturday with more on how I think Chicago, and to a lesser extent, Washington, won this year’s NWSL draft.

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