The Washington Spirit traded up to acquire the top spot in Tuesday’s NWSL dispersal draft and used it to select midfielder Rose Lavelle. The No. 1 pick in the 2017 college draft, Lavelle made an immediate difference in Boston before taking an injury while playing for the United States in their June trip to Europe. To acquire the right to select first the Spirit gave Sky Blue Blue the No. 2 pick in dispersal draft, a conditional first round pick in 2019 and a second round pick in 2019. Sky Blue then used the No. 2 pick on Hermann Trophy finalist Savannah McCaskill.
Lavelle is the fourth USWNT player to join the Spirit since May. Mallory Pugh elected to skip college and join NWSL via the Distribution Ranking Order last Spring. Earlier this month the club traded for Taylor Smith and then drafted Andi Sullivan No. 1 overall in the entry draft. The Spirit also acquired Ashley Hatch in the Smith trade in exchange for the rights to Crystal Dunn who did not play in NWSL last season.
Here is the full list of 2018 NWSL Dispersal Draft picks:
FIRST ROUND
1. Washington Spirit (from Sky Blue FC): Rose Lavelle
2. Sky Blue FC (from Washington Spirit): Savannah McCaskill
3. Seattle Reign FC: Megan Oyster
4. Portland Thorns FC: Midge Purce
5. Utah Royals FC: Abby Smith
6. Houston Dash: Kyah Simon-*
7. Chicago Red Stars: Rosie White
8. Seattle Reign FC (from Orlando Pride): Elizabeth Addo
9. North Carolina Courage: Julie King
Impeccable timing. Just left my 12 wk follow up w/ the doc.
Out of the boot!
Running starts ASAP
Cutting in 2 weeks if all goes well w/ running
FMS to return to play
Optimistic I’ll be ready for full action by mid-March, April at latest, if all goes according to plan??@NWSL ?— Julie King (@Julie_King8) January 30, 2018
SECOND ROUND
10. North Carolina Courage: Allysha Chapman
11. Seattle Reign FC (from Orlando Pride): Morgan Andrews
12. Chicago Red Stars: Ashton Miller#
13. Houston Dash: Lotta Okvist
14. Utah Royals FC: Katie Stengel
15. Portland Thorns FC: Angela Salem
16. Seattle Reign FC: Christen Westphal
17. Washington Spirit: Elizabeth Wenger#
18. Sky Blue FC: Adriana Leon
THIRD ROUND
19. Sky Blue FC: Amanda Frisbie
20. Washington Spirit: Tiffany Weimer
21. Seattle Reign FC: Lindsay Elston
22. Portland Thorns FC: Ifeoma Onumonu
23. Utah Royals FC: Brooke Elby
24. Houston Dash: Sammy Jo Prudhomme
25. Chicago Red Stars: Joanna Boyles#
26. Orlando Pride: pass
27. North Carolina Courage: pass
FOURTH ROUND
28. North Carolina Courage: pass
29. Orlando Pride: pass
30. Chicago Red Stars: Whitney Engen*
31. Houston Dash: pass
32. Utah Royals FC: Amanda DaCosta*
33. Portland Thorns FC: pass
*-indicates rights to player
#-2018 draft pick
Contracted players not selected: Natasha Dowie, Hayley Dowd
