Record 37 ECNL Girls alumni picked in 2024 NWSL Draft

ECNL alumni dominated the stage in Friday night’s 2024 NWSL Draft in Anaheim, California. Of the 56 players selected on Friday night, 37 were alumni of ECNL clubs, including 11 first round draft picks.

This marks the second consecutive year that nearly 70 percent of the players drafted into the NWSL are ECNL alumni, while the 11 first round picks made the highest percentage of ECNL players ever taken in the first round of an NWSL Draft, at nearly 80 percent.

2023 ECNL National Champion and Slammers FC HB Køge alum, Savy King, was the first ECNL player selected, going second overall to Bay FC.

Concorde Fire Platinum alumni, Croix Bethune and Hal Hershfelt, were reunited as both players were selected by the Washington Spirit, going third and fifth respectively.

The Spirit went all in on ECNL alums in the first round. With four first round picks they not only selected Bethune and Hershfelt, but also added Kate Wiesner (Slammers FC) and Makenna Morris (Virginia Union FC) with their other two first round selections.

Reilyn Turner (SoCal Blues SC), Maya Doms (Davis Legacy), Ally Lemos (Legends FC), Payton Linnehan (FC Stars), Kennedy Wesley (Slammers FC), and Maycee Bell (Sporting Blue Valley) round out the rest of the first round draft picks who are alumni of ECNL clubs.

In total, 27 different ECNL clubs had at least one of their alumni selected, with six different clubs having multiple players selected. Slammers FC had the most alumni selected with four of their former players being taken.

Below is a list of all the ECNL alumni who were taken in the 2024 NWSL Draft, in order of their selection.

Round 1

• Savy King – Bay FC (Slammers FC HB Køge)
• Croix Bethune – Washington Spirit (Concorde Fire Platinum)
• Hal Hershfelt – Washington Spirit (Concorde Fire Platinum)
• Reilyn Turner – Racing Louisville FC (SoCal Blues SC)
• Kate Wiesner – Washington Spirit (Slammers FC)
• Maya Doms – Bay FC (Davis Legacy)
• Ally Lemos – Orlando Pride (Legends FC)
• Payton Linnehan – Portland Thorns FC (FC Stars)
• Kennedy Wesley – San Diego Wave FC (Slammers FC)
• Makenna Morris – Washington Spirit (Virginia Union FC)
• Maycee Bell – Gotham FC (Sporting Blue Valley)

Round 2

• Jameese Joseph – Chicago Red Stars (Bethesda SC)
• Lauren Flynn – Utah Royals FC (Virginia Union FC)
• Sam Meza – Seattle Reign FC (Solar SC)
• Avery Patterson – Houston Dash (Florida Elite SA)
• Olivia Smith-Griffitts – Utah Royals FC (Boise Thorns FC)
• Kiki Van Zanten – Houston Dash (Eclipse Select SC)
• Cori Dyke – Orlando Pride (Colorado Rapids)
• Emma Jaskaniec – Utah Royals FC (FC Wisconsin)
• Maddie Mercado – Seattle Reign FC (San Diego Surf)
• Emma Sears – Racing Louisville FC (Ohio Premier)

Round 3

• Zoe Burns – Utah Royals FC (Crossfire Premier)
• Hannah Anderson – Chicago Red Stars (FC Dallas)
• Hallie Mackiewicz – Kansas City Current (Real Colorado National)
• Cristina Roque – Utah Royals FC (Florida Krush)
• Carolina Conti – Bay FC (Carolina Elite SA)
• Anna Podojil – Washington Spirit (Ohio Elite SA)
• Felicia Knox – Angel City FC (Sporting Blue Valley)
• Heather Hinz – Houston Dash (Bethesda SC)
• Julia Dorsey – NC Courage (Bethesda SC)
• Bea Franklin – Chicago Red Stars (Crossfire Premier)

Round 4

• Makena Carr – Seattle Reign FC (Eastside FC)
• Jessica Garziano – Angel City FC (SUSA FC)
• Sam Cary – Racing Louisville FC (St. Louis Scott Gallagher)
• Madi Curry – Angel City FC (Slammers FC)
• Katie Duong – Portland Thorns FC (Crossfire Premier)
• Madison White – Racing Louisville FC (Sting Dallas)
• Laveni Vaka – Bay FC (Utah Avalanche)