Occasionally, draft days can be rather anticlimactic as teams simply draft to fill their needs. That was not what happened on Friday in the NWSL College Draft, where the Portland Thorns made University of Virginia defender Emily Sonnett the first overall pick.
Background on the #1 overall pick
Sonnett was not in person at the draft because she is currently in camp with the United States Women's National Team, but her presence was felt by those connected with the Portland organization. Sonnett has spent the last four seasons starting for the Cavaliers while representing the United States at various youth levels.
Thorns Head Coach Mark Parsons was thrilled with the selection. "She’s the best player in the country and with her character and mindset and talent—Emily is the full package," he said. "She’s also a very tough, hard-nosed working player who won’t give anyone a millimeter to breathe. This is a fantastic player that doesn’t have a lot of faults."
Portland's busy day
However, simply drafting the UVA standout was not all that Portland accomplished on Friday. The Thorns entered Friday with the first and second picks in the draft. By mid-morning they had the first and third picks in the draft and forward Nadia Nadim, courtesy of a trade with Sky Blue FC. They subsequently dealt the third pick and the fourth spot in the allocation order to Boston in order to acquire the top spot in the USWNT Allocation Order. In the third round, Portland selected defender McKenzie Berryhill of Arizona State, further strengthening the backline.
"To come out of a draft with a couple of very talented young players in Emily and McKenzie and to get the allocation is a special thing," said Parsons after the draft. "And then there’s Nadia Nadim, a proven, experienced, world-class forward who is a talent. I think everyone in the league would want Nadia in their starting lineup. She fits what we’re all about. In the sense of her passion, her work ethic and her desire to be the best the player she can. It’s rare to get a player on draft day of that quality."
Offseason transformation
The three new players continue Portland's offseason overhaul, which has seen striker Alex Morgan leave the Rose City for Orlando in a trade with USWNT defender Meghan Klingenberg coming back the other way. Additionally, the Thorns got midfielder Lindsey Horan through the USWNT Allocation earlier in the week, further bolstering their roster. Once they take the field for 2016, the team will look significantly different than the one which missed out on the postseason in 2015.