Photo Copyright (l to r) Jonathan Jones, Craig Mitchelldyer & David Gonzales for USA TODAY Sports
The National Women’s Soccer League’s regular season is on hiatus in deference to the Olympic games. It’s a good time for some alternative reflections around the league. This week, a look at the 12 players who have been selected No. 1 overall by NWSL teams from 2013 until this year. In lieu of ranking them, here they are in chronological order. If you have ranking thoughts, tweet me @thedanlauletta.
2013 – Zakiya Bywaters, Chicago Red Stars
In the moment: At a time when league rosters were just being built from nothing, most observers believed Kristie Mewis was the best available player. Mewis wound up going No. 3 to FC Kansas City after Bywaters followed by Tiffany McCarty going to Washington.
The career: Bywaters, a speedy winger from UCLA, was an enigmatic underachiever as the top pick. She appeared in 25 games through 2014 before hip surgery kept her out for 2015. In 2016, Bywaters sent a series of negative…
