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The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Sport
Jonathan Tannenwald

As the NWSL keeps growing, its draft could become a barrier to progress

PHILADELPHIA — For the first time in three years, the NWSL draft felt like a big deal again.

Reduced to a virtual event because of the pandemic in 2021 and 2022, last Thursday it returned to being an in-person spectacle. And a spectacle it was, bringing players, fans, media, and every coach and GM in the league into the Pennsylvania Convention Center’s grand ballroom.

Beyond the bright lights and cameras, though, not all was well. In the two previous years, top young American prospects turned away from the NWSL to start their pro careers in other countries.

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