The year has just begun, but 2018 will already have another National Women’s Soccer League draft.
This draft, however, is laced with a disheartening undertone, as the Boston Breakers announced their organization would fold ahead of the 2018 season. The NWSL, now a nine-team league, will maintain its 24-game schedule, as each side will play each other three times.
“In the best interest for the long-term viability of the NWSL, we will operate with nine clubs in 2018 to ensure a stronger league where all parties involved are aligned and committed to the core mission of continued growth and development as we move into our sixth season,” NWSL managing director Amanda Duffy said, per the NWSL’s press release.
Now, the entire Boston roster is without jobs, including four draftees who were picked in the 2018 NWSL College Draft. In response, the league is holding a dispersal draft on Tuesday.
Players had until noon on Monday to opt out of the upcoming draft, and teams can trade their picks until 1 p.m. on Tuesday. Roster requirements do not change for the remaining nine NWSL teams, as each team must have a minimum of 18 players and can hold a maximum of 20.
However, acquiring any of Boston’s draftees or contracted players will not count against a team’s roster limit for the 2018 season. Furthermore, those players’ contracts will not count against the salary cap, and any housing and transportation expenses will not count against the team’s permitted team-assistance cap.
Lastly, salaries and expenses for players from Boston’s discovery list will count against a team’s salary cap and permitted team-assistance cap, respectively.
Teams that need an international spot for a draftee from either the dispersal draft or from the college draft will be granted one. If an international player is traded in 2018, she will carry the international spot with her to her next team.
“We do not doubt the fan support or interest in women’s soccer in Boston or New England, and the measure taken by the Breakers organization does not reflect the passion we have seen from our fans,” Duffy said. “We sincerely thank you for your years of commitment, and we look forward to one day returning to the city of Boston.”
Orlando will select eighth out of nine spots on Tuesday. The draft order was determined by a weighted draw. All playoff teams had one envelope, and the other five non-playoff teams had two.
The NWSL will use a snake format for the dispersal draft, as the Pride will select eighth in odd-numbered rounds and second in even-numbered rounds. Teams will continue to draft until all nine teams pass or if no players are available.
Below are lists of available contracted players, college draftees and retired players. There are no discovery-list players.
Contracted Players
- Elizabeth Addo
- Morgan Andrews
- Allysha Chapman (Canadian)
- Hayley Dowd
- Natasha Dowie (English)
- Brooke Elby
- Amanda Frisbie
- Julie King
- Rose Lavelle (American)
- Adriana Leon (Canadian)
- Lotta Okvist (Swedish)
- Ifeoma Onomonu
- Megan Oyster
- Sammy Jo Prudhomme
- Margaret Purce
- Angela Salem
- Abby Smith
- Katie Stengel
- Tiffany Weimer
- Christen Westphal
- Rosie White (New Zealander)
2018 NWSL College Draft Picks
- Joanna Boyles
- Savannah McCaskill
- Ashton Miller
- Elizabeth Wenger
Retired Players
- Amanda DaCosta
- Lindsay Elston
- Whitney Engen
- Mollie Pathman
- Louise Schillgard (Swedish)
- Kyah Simon (Australian)
For more on the Pride, as they prepare for the upcoming dispersal draft, follow Victor Tan on Twitter at @NDR_VictorTan.
To contact Victor, you can email him at vtan@newdayreview.com.
