The NWSL kicked off the new year with a bang on Thursday, as Angel City FC, the Portland Thorns, Gotham FC and the Orlando Pride all participated in a blockbuster trade a week ahead of the NWSL Draft.
In the first trade of the package deal, Angel City sent Portland their natural first-round pick in next Thursday’s draft, their highest natural second-round pick in the 2024 NWSL draft and $200,000 in allocation money. In return, Los Angeles received the rights to 23-year-old midfielder Yazmeen Ryan.
Angel City then made a deal with Gotham FC, sending Ryan and $250,000 in allocation money to New Jersey in return for the No. 1 pick in this year’s NWSL draft. This deal is reportedly contingent on conditions being met, which Jeff Kassouf of ESPN and The Equalizer indicates is 18-year-old Stanford commit Alyssa Thompson turning pro and declaring for the 2022 draft. The deadline for players to register for the draft is 11:59 p.m. ET on Monday, Jan. 9.
In a separate trade, Gotham sent $350,000 in allocation money and a fourth-round pick in the 2024 draft to the Orlando Pride for the No. 2 pick in the 2023 draft.
In summary, Angel City now holds the first overall pick in the 2023 NWSL draft, Gotham FC adds Ryan to their midfield and holds…
