The dares have been issued to Racing Louisville FC. And now, as the saying goes, we wait.
Eight of the nine incumbent National Women’s Soccer League teams released their lists of protected players for next week’s expansion draft (the Chicago Red Stars have immunity), and the headlines will show significant United States women’s national team talent available for the 2021 expansion side, Louisville, to select in the Nov. 12 draft (7 p.m. ET on Twitch). Reality, however, is much different.
Ashlyn Harris, Tobin Heath, Ali Krieger, Carli Lloyd, Christen Press, Megan Rapinoe and Becky Sauerbrunn are all available for selection by Louisville, but all of those U.S. internationals will be 32 or older by the start of the 2021 season, and each is almost certain to never play for Louisville if selected, for a variety of reasons. Most of those U.S. players have stated their intentions of seeing out their careers with their hometown or longtime clubs. Heath and Press are currently under contract with Manchester United at least through the end of the current European season in May.
Racing Louisville FC also has incentive not to select any U.S. players. Louisville would receive a $150,000 allocation money grant for not selecting any U.S. allocated players in the expansion draft (and $75,000 for selecting only one). That money can only be used for roster transactions — including, as conspicuously and explicitly stated by the NWSL, the first pick in the 2021 NWSL College Draft. That pick is widely anticipated to be Catarina Macario, a player regarded as a generational talent and the future of the U.S. national team, after recently obtaining citizenship.
Louisville can select up to 18 players in the draft, a maximum of two per team. If the expansion side selects a U.S. player, that is the only player they can select from that club, which further puts a premium on U.S. talent. Existing NWSL teams are aware of this leverage and have dared Racing Louisville to play hardball, or take a significant risk, in one way or another. For a team like Portland Thorns FC, that is by necessity. The Thorns have five U.S. allocated players and can only protect two; Lindsey Horan and new addition Crystal Dunn were obvious choices to protect as players to build the team’s future around. Sauerbrunn has said that she plans to end her career in Portland, and Heath wouldn’t be available much or, possibly, at all in 2021. That leaves Thorns goalkeeper and 2020 U.S. allocated player Adrianna Franch as the most intriguing possibility for selection by Louisville.
Press being left unprotected by Utah Royals FC is the most curious of decisions, since the Royals only have two U.S. allocated players (Kelley O’Hara being the other) and could have protected Press — undoubtedly the most talented player on the roster. But Press didn’t play for Utah at all in 2020, and the Royals are a relative mess right now. Craig Harrington was put on administrative leave midway through the NWSL Fall Series in September, and Dell Loy Hansen is selling the team and other soccer assets following allegations of sustained racist and sexist behavior that created a toxic club culture. Both of those situations remain in limbo and little has been communicated from the Royals recently regarding the status of either.
The Chicago Red Stars are the one team guaranteed to go untouched in the expansion draft. A deadline-day trade with Racing Louisville FC saw Chicago send Savannah McCaskill, Yuki Nagasato, a 2021 first-round draft pick and an international slot in 2021 and 2022 to Louisville in exchange for full protection in the expansion draft.
How will Racing Louisville FC coach Christy Holly and executive vice president of development James O’Connor play this draft? Nov. 12 will bring those answers. In the meantime, we’ll be doing our own mock draft here on equalizersoccer.com and on The Equalizer Podcast.
Below is the list of protected and unprotected players as per the NWSL. Included are several long-retired names whose rights are apparently still with clubs. Your guess is as good as ours on some of those.
CHICAGO RED STARS
Full Roster Protection
HOUSTON DASH
Protected Players
Jane Campbell
Allysha Chapman (CAN Allocated)
Rachel Daly (International)
Shea Groom
Haley Hanson
Veronica Latsko
Kristie Mewis
Katie Naughton
Megan Oyster
Nichelle Prince (CAN Allocated)
Sophie Schmidt (CAN Allocated)
Unprotected Players
Bridgette Andrzejewski
Chloe Castaneda (College Protected)
Taylor Comeau (Playing Rights)
Nikki Cross (Playing Rights)
Amanda Dennis
Marissa Diggs (Playing Rights)
Jamia Fields
Lindsey Harris
Melissa Henderson (Playing Rights)
Bianca Henninger (Playing Rights)
Savannah Jordan (Playing Rights)
Maegan Kelly
Cecelia Kizer
Christine Nairn
Ally Prisock
Cambria Privett
Erin Simon
Katie Stengel
Brianna Visalli
NORTH CAROLINA COURAGE
Protected Players
Abby Dahlkemper (US Allocated)
Debora De Oliveira (International)
Abby Erceg (International)
Kristen Hamilton
Hallie Mace
Merritt Mathias
Jessica McDonald
Casey Murphy
Denise O’Sullivan (International)
Lynn Williams
Samantha Mewis (US Allocated, Playing Rights)
Unprotected Players
Lindsay Agnew
Jaelene Daniels (Playing Rights)
Brianne Folds (College Protected)
Hailey Harbison
Kaleigh Kurtz
Steph Labbe (CAN Allocated)
Samantha Leshnak
McKenzie Meehan
Addisyn Merrick
Lauren Milliet
Sinclaire Miramontez
Heather O’Reilly (Playing Rights)
Cari Roccaro
Katelyn Rowland
Havana Solaun
Meredith Speck
Ally Watt
Ryan Williams
ORLANDO PRIDE
Protected Players
Claire Emslie (International)
Taylor Kornieck
Sydney Leroux
Phoebe McClernon (College Protected)
Jade Moore (International)
Alex Morgan (US Allocated, Playing Rights)
Courtney Petersen
Ali Riley
Emily Sonnett (US Allocated, Playing Rights)
Marta Vieira da Silva (International)
Marisa Viggiano
Unprotected Players
Kristen Edmonds
Caitlin Farrell (Playing Rights)
Joanna Fennema (Playing Rights)
Caitlin Foord (Playing Rights)
Ashlyn Harris (US Allocated)
Alanna Kennedy (International)
Abi Kim (College Protected)
Ali Krieger (US Allocated)
Camila Martins Pereira
Erin McLeod (International)
Carson Pickett
Konya Plummer (International)
Toni Pressley
Cheyenne Shorts (College Protected)
Emily Van Egmond (International)
Chelsee Washington
Brittany Wilson
Shelina Zadorsky (CAN Allocated)
PORTLAND THORNS FC
Protected Players
Simone Charley
Crystal Dunn (US Allocated)
Lindsey Horan (US Allocated)
Kelli Hubly
Meghan Klingenberg
Natalia Kuikka (International)
Emily Menges
Raquel Rodriguez (International)
Christine Sinclair (CAN Allocated)
Sophia Smith
Morgan Weaver
Unprotected Players
Nadine Angerer (Playing Rights)
Bella Bixby
Celeste Boureille
Marian Dougherty
Brittany Eckerstrom
Marissa Everett
Adrianna Franch (US Allocated)
Tobin Heath (US Allocated, Playing Rights)
Tyler Lussi
Andressa Machry (Playing Rights)
Nikki Marshall (Playing Rights)
Meagan Morris (Playing Rights)
Meaghan Nally
Emily Ogle
Madison Pogarch
Hayley Raso (Playing Rights)
Katherine Reynolds (Playing Rights)
Angela Salem
Becky Sauerbrunn (US Allocated)
Gabby Seiler
Katrina Tarr (Playing Rights)
Rachel Van Hollebeke (Playing Rights)
Christen Westphal
Sandra Yu (Playing Rights)
OL REIGN
Protected Players
Bethany Balcer
Lauren Barnes
Amber Brooks
Jess Fishlock
Sofia Huerta
Darian Jenkins
Rose Lavelle (US Allocated, Playing Rights)
Allie Long (US Allocated)
Kristen McNabb
Yuka Momiki
Leah Pruitt
Unprotected Players
Morgan Andrews
Julia Ashley
Michelle Betos
Meg Brandt (College Protected)
Mariah Bullock (Playing Rights)
Stephanie Catley (Playing Rights)
Stephanie Cox
Shirley Cruz Trana (International)
Kiersten Dallstream (Playing Rights)
Schuyler Debree (Playing Rights)
Machaela George
Madison Hammond
Sam Hiatt (College Protected)
Kelcie Hedge
Celia Jimenez Delgado (International)
Adrienne Jordan (Playing Rights)
Alyssa Kleiner (Playing Rights)
Theresa Nielsen (Playing Rights, International)
Morgan Proffitt (Playing Rights)
Quinn (International)
Megan Rapinoe (US Allocated)
Taylor Smith
Jasmyne Spencer
Jodie Taylor (Playing Rights)
Rumi Utsugi (Playing Rights)
Abby Wambach (Playing Rights)
Danielle Weatherholt
Rosie White (International)
Lydia Williams (Playing Rights)
Beverly Yanez (Playing Rights)
SKY BLUE FC
Protected Players
Imani Dorsey
Nahomi Kawasumi (International)
Amanda McGlynn
Paige Monaghan
Ifeoma Onumonu
Mallory Pugh (US Allocated)
Margaret Purce
Kailen Sheridan (CAN Allocated)
Evelyne Viens (International)
Sarah WoldmoeÂ
McCall Zerboni
Unprotected Players
Nicole Baxter
Melanie Booth (Playing Rights)
Jennifer Cudjoe (International)
Julie Doyle (Playing Rights)
Caprice Dydasco
Elizabeth Eddy
Sabrina Flores
Mandy Freeman
Christina Gibbons (Playing Rights)
Didi Haracic
Megan Hinz
Jennifer Hoy (Playing Rights)
Estelle Johnson
Gina Lewandowski
Carli Lloyd (US Allocated)
Jill Loyden (Playing Rights)
Manya Makoski (Playing Rights)
Dominique Richardson
Kaleigh Riehl
Erica Skroski
Chantelle Swaby (College Protected)
Madison Tiernan (Playing Rights)
Rebecca Tweed (Playing Rights)
Kenie Wright
UTAH ROYALS FC
Protected Players
Elizabeth Ball
Kate Bowen
Rachel Corsie
Kate Del Fava
Tziarra King
Lo’eau Labonta
Kelley O’Hara (US Allocated)
Amy Shilling
Abigail Smith
Michele Vasconcelos
Gabrielle Vincent
Unprotected Players
Nicole Barnhart
Veronica Boquete (International)
Kate Deines (Playing Rights)
Cyera Hintzen (College Protected)
Lauren Holiday (Playing Rights)
Gunnhildur Jonsdottir
Samantha Johnson (Playing Rights)
Amanda Laddish (Playing Rights)
Taylor Leach
Taylor Lytle
Michelle Maemone
Diana Matheson (CAN Allocated)
Sydney Miramontez (Playing Rights)
Madeline Nolf
Christen Press (US Allocated, Playing Rights)
Brittany Ratcliffe
Desiree Scott (CAN Allocated)
Arielle Ship
Raisa Strom-Okimoto
Erika Tymrak (Playing Rights)
Mallory Weber
WASHINGTON SPIRIT
Protected Players
Dorian Bailey
Aubrey Bledsoe
Jordan DiBiasi
Bayley Feist
Ashley Hatch
Tori Huster
Tegan McGrady
Paige Nielsen
Ashley Sanchez
Sam Staab
Andi Sullivan
Unprotected Players
Jaye Boissiere
Averie Collins
Megan Dougherty Howard
Jenna Hellstrom (International)
Brooke Hendrix
Natalie Jacobs
Devon Kerr
Lori Lindsey (Playing Rights)
Joanna Lohman (Playing Rights)
Katie Lund
Katie McClure
Meghan McCool
Jessie Scarpa
Crystal Thomas
Kumi Yokoyama (International)
