Gotham FC trades for Yazmeen Ryan and No. 2 draft pick this year, gives up No. 1 spot

A week before Philadelphia hosts the National Women’s Soccer League’s college draft, a pile of big trades unfolded Thursday that upended the first-round board. And the team closest to here was in the middle of the action.

Gotham FC dealt the No. 1 overall pick to Angel City FC, then swung separate deals that landed the No. 2 pick from the Orlando Pride and midfielder Yazmeen Ryan from the reigning champion Portland Thorns.

There was also some cash involved, $250,000 received from Angel City, and $350,000 sent to Orlando. And Gotham sent Orlando its natural fourth-round pick in next year’s draft.

“In Yazmeen Ryan, we have added a great, young talent who has already established herself as a highly effective NWSL midfielder,” Gotham general manager Yael Averbuch West said in a statement. “At the same time, we have positioned our club to take an elite player with the second overall draft selection or utilize the pick as an asset to continue to make our roster even stronger. These two major transactions combine for another important step forward for Gotham FC this offseason.”

Ryan was a first-round pick in 2021 out of TCU. The 23-year-old Oklahoma native had two goals and five assists in 20 games last year.

» READ MORE: Philadelphia is out of the NWSL’s latest expansion round

“I’m confident that my move to Gotham FC is an extremely positive one for my career, and I’m really looking forward to moving East very soon and getting started,” Ryan said. “This is a great opportunity for a fresh start and new chapter in my continued development as a player. … I’m a big believer in Coach Juan [Carlos Amorós, Gotham’s new manager], what Gotham FC stands for, and the club’s vision to build a team that will compete for championships.”

When all the dust settled, here’s what each team involved in Thursday’s trades ended up with:

Gotham FC: No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft, midfielder Yasmeeen Ryan, net loss of $100,000 in allocation money.

Angel City FC: No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft.

Orlando Pride: $350,000 in allocation money (the most paid for a draft pick in NWSL history), Gotham’s natural fourth-round pick in 2024.

Portland Thorns: No. 5 overall pick in this year’s draft, $200,000 in allocation money, Angel City’s natural fourth-round pick in 2024.

» READ MORE: Yazmeen Ryan helped the Thorns win last year's NWSL title game

The Los Angeles Times reported that Angel City will use the No. 1 pick on Alyssa Thompson, an 18-year-old high school senior at Harvard-Westlake in L.A. She was the 2021 Gatorade national high school player of the year and has already played twice for the senior U.S. national team. Her debut came in October during the Americans’ 2-1 loss at England, with a crowd of nearly 77,000 watching at famed Wembley Stadium looking on.

Thompson has not formally filed for entry into the NWSL draft yet – and technically, the entire set of trades is contingent on her doing so.

League rules say she must do so by 11:59 p.m. ET on Monday, but draft rules have been bent in the past for big-time talents. Thompson qualfiies as one.

» READ MORE: Lynn Williams, Midge Purce return to USWNT for this month’s trip to New Zealand

As of now, the biggest name officially in the pool is Duke sophomore forward Michelle Cooper, who left the Blue Devils after this past season to turn pro. There had been speculation that she was going to Europe, but her entry in the draft pool is a sign that she seems headed to the NWSL.

The NWSL draft will be held in Philadelphia next Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Pennsylvania Convention Center as part of the annual United Soccer Coaches Convention. Fans can attend free of charge.

The full list of eligible players is available on the NWSL’s website.