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Sophia Smith and the 2020 draft class that reshaped the NWSL

Sophia Smith, the No. 1 pick of the Portland Thorns in 2020, won NWSL MVP last season. (Howard Smith/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

On Thursday, the NWSL will hold an in-person draft for the first time since January 2020. On that day, weeks before the world shut down amid a global pandemic, a chaotic flurry of activity only possible on a draft day floor ushered in the next generation of star talent and dramatically reshaped the current player pool in the NWSL.

Top 2022 draft picks Sophia Smith, Ashley Sanchez, Taylor Kornieck and Morgan Weaver have been at the center of some of the biggest league moments in the last two years. But their journeys, which began at the 2020 draft, showed that even the best-laid plans for young talent can go awry.

Draft day chaos sets the scene

From the very first week of January 2020, Portland had targeted the first overall pick in the draft. On Jan. 8, the Thorns acquired the No. 1 pick from the Pride in exchange for the rights to USWNT defender Emily Sonnett and Australian international Caitlin Foord, as well as other draft picks. The understanding across the league was that the Thorns intended to select Smith, a sophomore out of Stanford and a U.S. youth national team standout.

With allocation money in play for the first time, the draft-floor moves weren’t relegated to the No. 1 pick. As soon as the draft began, deals materialized across the league. The Red Stars traded their No. 4 and No. 5 picks for the No. 2 and No. 3 picks held by Sky Blue (now Gotham), and then immediately flipped the No. 2 pick to Portland for later-round picks and $70,000 in allocation money, as well as No. 3 to Orlando for forward Rachel Hill and future draft assets.

The Washington Spirit then traded up, sending Mallory Swanson (née Pugh) to Sky Blue for the No. 4 pick and other assets, which included Sky Blue’s 2021 natural first-round pick.

In retrospect, before a single selection had even been made, those moves redefined the distribution of talent across the league for years to come. Portland selected Smith and Morgan Weaver with the first two picks in the draft, Orlando took Taylor Kornieck at No. 3, and Washington drafted Ashley Sanchez at No. 4.

All four players have become league mainstays since then, with Smith, Kornieck (now with expansion side San Diego) and Sanchez all making the USWNT roster for World Cup and Olympic qualifying. Smith is the superstar she was promised to be, scoring 11 goals for the U.S. and 14 for the Thorns in 2022 on the way to winning NWSL MVP, NWSL Final MVP and USWNT Player of the Year.

Smith and Weaver just missed out on the NWSL Shield with the Thorns in 2022 before helping the team win a league-record third championship in October. Sanchez won the 2021 NWSL Championship (alongside Trinity Rodman, the player the Spirit selected with Sky Blue’s 2021 first-round pick acquired in the 2020 deal), while Kornieck had a breakout year with San Diego in 2022, contributing to the best finish ever for an NWSL expansion team in its inaugural season.

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Morgan Weaver followed Sophia Smith to the Thorns as the No. 2 pick of the 2020 draft. (Jose Argueta/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

The impact of the 2020 draft class also hasn’t been limited to the top four picks. Zoe Morse, Chicago’s third-round selection, blossomed into a cornerstone of the Red Stars’ defense two years later. Sam Hiatt, taken in the fourth round by OL Reign, is now a starting center-back for the 2022 Shield winners. Kate Del Fava and Addisyn Merrick, drafted in the second and fourth rounds, respectively, represented Kansas City against Smith and Weaver’s Thorns in the 2022 championship game.

The fourth round of the 2020 draft also produced Kaiya McCullough, who spoke out about the verbal abuse she experienced while playing for former Spirit coach Richie Burke and was a key voice in the NWSL’s recent reckoning over misconduct.

The rookie season that wasn’t

While the strength of the 2020 draft class is now obvious, their rookie year that followed was anything but expected. The pandemic suspended NWSL regular-season play for an entire year, replacing it with a one-month Challenge Cup in Utah.

“My first season was a little more just getting a feel for the league, like how I need to play, what I need to get better at,” Smith told Just Women’s Sports in October. “And now I feel like I can just be myself.”

“I actually was still in school at the time,” Weaver told Just Women’s Sports this summer about the early months of 2020. “I was doing all online classes so I could be here early to train.”

Soon, word spread that NWSL training had been suspended — first for a weekend, then a week, and finally indefinitely.

Smith, Weaver and company can be forgiven for needing a little extra time to find their feet in the pros. The 2020 rookies didn’t actually get to experience a full season until 2021, instead quarantining with each other while playing a 23-game tournament at the facilities of the then-Utah Royals.

“I think uncertainty is the right word to characterize that whole year, honestly, for everyone,” said Morse, who has since left the Red Stars to sign with WSL club Brighton & Hove Albion through 2024.

For Weaver and Morse, the twists and turns of the 2020 preseason mirrored the uncertainty of their first years as professionals.

“Whenever I’m asked about that year, I always say that I think it was honestly maybe easier for us rookies,” Morse said. “Because we had no idea what to expect compared to everyone else on the team.”

“I just wanted to know what was going on, and no one knew,” Weaver said. “And that’s the thing that I think helped me get through it, was no one knew what was going on.”

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Chicago's Zoe Morse and Washington's Ashley Sanchez, both 2020 draft picks, go head-to-head in the Challenge Cup. (Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

In Utah, playing time came fast and furious, as did a lot of downtime. The pressures of making it through a month-long quarantine while playing high-level soccer, as the country reckoned with issues of racial injustice after the murder of George Floyd in May 2020, forged quick bonds that had a ripple effect off the field.

“Once we got to Utah, we were essentially quarantined with our team for 34 days, or however long it was,” Morse said. “So I really got to make some connections with my teammates that I probably wouldn’t have in a typical season, just because we were literally eating every single meal together. We were with each other all the time.”

“I feel like in general, going somewhere and living there for a month in a bubble in a hotel, I think it made our team closer,” Weaver said. “Now looking back at it, I did enjoy the time that I was there, even though I also did not.”

The 2020 campaign delayed the beginning of what has become a dangerous partnership between Smith and Weaver. During last year’s championship run, Weaver took on more responsibility out wide to feed Smith centrally, contributing three assists and seven goals on top of Smith’s MVP campaign.

That summer, however, Smith missed the entire Challenge Cup with a knee injury, though she did play four games in the 2020 Fall Series.

“We never actually played with each other much in 2020,” Weaver said, noting it also took time to build chemistry with longtime Thorns captain and forward Christine Sinclair.

Smith credits Sinclair for helping her through her first two years with the Thorns. The No. 1 pick felt the pressure to perform, both internally and externally, but she found ways to stay patient.

“I feel like I found my place in Portland and within the team,” she said. “That goes to show a lot about my teammates and my coaching staff, who just allow me to do that to find myself and to really just be myself.”

Not every 2020 draftee progressed at the same rate, but many of them arrived in similar places in 2022 after getting a full season’s worth of experience. The short spurts of playing time in a Challenge Cup or a Fall Series contrast with the rigors of a regular season, and finding consistency in performance can be key to development.

Kornieck didn’t get the benefit of the 2020 Challenge Cup at all after the Pride had to bow out due to a COVID-19 outbreak, but she recognized how far she’s come during her second full season in the league.

“I think this is the first year where I was really starting to understand the concepts,” Kornieck told reporters after a match with San Diego last June. “I can see my growth from the past two years in the league now, [and] I owe it all to the team.”

Looking ahead to the 2023 season, the true rookies of 2020 are now closer to veteran status themselves, with hard-earned lessons informing the way they approach the game.

For Smith, even with all her accolades this past year, the pressures haven’t changed.

“I try not to change the way I look at things with the more success I have,” she said. “I still want to be Sophie and carry myself the same way.”

Morse, too, embraces the bigger picture.

“I think it shows on the field that [the 2020 draft class has] a bit of a different approach to the game, because we saw it get taken away in our first year,” she said. “Veteran players have similar situations when the leagues were folding and that sort of stuff. So this was kind of our iteration of seeing what we love doing being taken away, and just knowing that we are so grateful to be out here doing what we do.”

Smith was one of the first underclassmen to be drafted into the NWSL, but she will be far from the last. As the next wave of players hear their own names called on Thursday, they’ll have a chance to learn from the ones before them, whose rookie experiences were unlike anything seen before.

Claire Watkins is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @ScoutRipley.

‘The Late Sub’ Breaks Down USWNT Breakout Performances and Missed Marks

USWNT midfielder Lily Yohannes advances the ball during a 2025 friendly against China PR.
Teen phenom Lily Yohannes impressed during the recent USWNT friendlies. (Adam Bettcher/Getty Images)

In this week's episode of The Late Sub, host Claire Watkins dives into the individuals who put together standout performances for the USWNT in the team's recent pair of friendlies, from a big update in the goalkeeping race to the squad's multi-layered midfield project.

Watkins also breaks down the missed opportunities amid the USWNT's 3-0 win over China PR and 4-0 victory against Jamaica, as the year of head coach Emma Hayes's great roster experiment crosses the six-month mark.

Diving straight into the players who impressed, Watkins first calls out US captain Lindsey Heaps, applauding her performances while also noting that she "[wishes] maybe [Heaps] was used more situationally than kind of all the time."

"Heaps has so much to give this team, but it is probably against teams like this where they're sitting back a little bit more," explains Watkins. "I don't love her against a press. I don't love her against a super athletic, physical midfield, but in these games, she really shines."

Shifting to the ongoing search to crown retired goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher's replacement, Watkins dubs Manchester United net-minder Phallon Tullis-Joyce — who started both USWNT friendlies — the overall frontrunner.

"Tullis-Joyce honestly reminds me a lot of Alyssa Naeher in her first couple years with the USWNT," says Watkins. "She's calm, she's organized, she's a good shot-stopper. She's a great communicator."

USWNT winger Michelle Cooper eyes an incoming ball during a 2025 friendly against China PR.
Cooper's continued improvement and stellar pattern have Watkins comparing her to Trinity Rodman. (KEREM YUCEL/AFP via Getty Images)

Young talent make strong cases for USWNT roster inclusion

Watkins also sings the praises of several young talents whose performances over the last week will make them hard to drop, including "obvious" choices like forward Alyssa Thompson and attacker Catarina Macario, as well as strike Ally Sentnor and teen midfielder Lily Yohannes.

Callling Yohannes "the freaking truth," Watkins notes that "you're seeing glimpses of what could become truly world-class play against the top teams in the world in a couple of years."

Making a slightly quieter, but no less impactful, case, argues Watkins, is winger Michelle Cooper.

Cooper's consistent refining and improvement have Watkins comparing her progress to star Trinity Rodman's USWNT evolution, saying that top passing is "how [Rodman] worked her way into the team before starting to take more shots. I think Cooper can follow that same game plan."

USWNT midfielder Lo'eau LaBonta dribbles the ball during a 2025 friendly against Jamaica.
Watkins posits that subbing patterns hindered the impact of players like Lo'eau LaBonta. (Bill Barrett/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images)

Missed opportunities leave some players scrambling

Pivoting to the missed opportunities arising from the two friendlies, Watkins calls the center-back pairings "lackluster," celebrating the return of star Naomi Girma and her rock-solid play as well as veteran Emily Sonnett's versatility while critiquing Hayes's decision to not test much depth at the position.

"It just feels like a wasted opportunity with so many other center back injuries," Watkins explains, referencing season-ending injuries to players like Tierna Davidson.

Along with what Watkins calls "rough" set pieces, she notes that less rotation and late subs were a missed opportunity to adequately test fresh faces or build chemistry with other players.

Noting that performances like forward Lynn Biyendolo's Jamaica match, in which she scored a brace off the bench, are "the gold standard," Watkins also questions Hayes's own criticism about the level of play dropping off when athletes aren't given enough minutes to find their feet and make an impact.

Citing talent like defender Emily Sams and midfielders Lo'eau LaBonta and Olivia Moultrie, Watkins posits that the sub patterns "just didn't quite have the focus that I'm sure Hayes was looking for."

"I worry that the players that kind of got dumped into games late never really had a chance, which is this happens at times when they're starting to ramp up," she says.

Overall, Hayes seems to be more obviously honing in on her starting core.

"We're starting to see players get multiple starts.... Those are the players to take seriously as the future of this program," notes Watkins.

"Hayes is being very purposeful with what she wants to see from her starters and what she wants to see from her bench. And there is an increasing gap between those two groups," says Watkins. "So the competition rises next international break."

About 'The Late Sub' with Claire Watkins

The Late Sub with Claire Watkins brings you the latest news and freshest takes on the USWNT, NWSL, and all things women's soccer. Special guest appearances featuring the biggest names in women’s sports make TLS a must-listen for every soccer fan.

Follow Claire on X/Twitter @ScoutRipley and subscribe to the Just Women's Sports newsletter for more.

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Napheesa Collier, Allisha Gray, and Kiki Iriafen Top May WNBA Awards

Minnesota's Napheesa Collier celebrates a play during a 2025 WNBA game.
Napheesa Collier won May’s Western Conference Player of the Month. (Ellen Schmidt/Getty Images)

The WNBA recognized May’s top performers on Wednesday, handing out the first round of monthly awards to early-season standouts across the league.

Lynx star Napheesa Collier picked up Western Conference Player of the Month, with the forward averaging 26.8 points per game while leading Minnesota to a 6-0 May start.

Earning the same honor in the Eastern Conference was Dream standout guard Allisha Gray, who started the season with a 21.4 points-per-game average to help boost Atlanta to third in the league standings.

New York Liberty manager Sandy Brondello won Coach of the Month — a natural fit after leading the 2024 WNBA champs to their best opening record since 1997.

The most surprising nod, however, went to Rookie of the Month Kiki Iriafen, with the Mystics forward averaging a 13.9-point, 10.1-rebound double-double while shooting 47.4% from the field in her first month as a pro.

The USC product opened the season with a bang, becoming just the second rookie in WNBA history to record four double-doubles in her first five games, joining Utah Starzz forward Natalie Williams, who did so in 1999 — three years before Iriafen was born.

The day-one Mystics starter is also the first Rookie of the Month in Washington franchise history, telling reporters, "From the day I got drafted to the Mystics, I just put my head down, like, I'm going to work… I'm just giving my best effort every single time that I'm playing, and it's nice to see the fruits of your labor come to fruition."

How to watch the winners of May's WNBA awards in action

While Collier's Lynx and Gray's Dream are off until the weekend, Brondello's Liberty will visit Iriafen and the Mystics at 7:30 PM ET on Thursday, live on Prime.

Texas Outlasts Texas Tech in 2025 WCWS Game 1, Takes 1-0 Finals Lead

The Texas Longhorns celebrate their 2025 WCWS championship series Game 1 win over Texas Tech.
Texas softball is one win away from clinching their first-ever national championship at the 2025 WCWS. (Brett Rojo-Imagn Images)

Texas softball took Game 1 of the 2025 Women's College World Series (WCWS) championship series by topping in-state rivals Texas Tech 2-1 on Wednesday night, putting the Longhorns just one win away from clinching a program-first national championship.

"It's tight, especially when you're facing a good pitcher," said Texas catcher Reese Atwood, who delivered the game-winning hit. "Any momentum, any energy, we'll take it."

After a controversial obstruction call gifted Texas Tech a 1-0 lead in the top of the fifth, a rare misstep from Red Raiders ace NiJaree Canady gave Texas the daylight they needed to pull ahead.

With two Longhorns in scoring position and Atwood — the nation's RBI leader — stepping to the plate, Texas Tech head coach Gerry Glasco decided to take advantage of the vacant first base by instructing Canady to intentionally walk Atwood.

Noticing that Canady's intentional balls were dangerously close to the strike zone, Atwood capitalized, launching a game-winning two-run single on a 3-0 count — her first hit of the WCWS.

"Maybe it was the wrong decision. Maybe we should've went at her," said Glasco following the loss.

With up to two games left to play, the 2025 WCWS has already been a huge hit, averaging 1.1 million viewers on ESPN before the championship series even began — the network's highest pre-finals viewership on record.

While this year's NCAA tournament chases even more viewership history, Texas Tech will be hunting a Game 2 win to keep their championship dreams alive.

How to watch Game 2 of the 2025 WCWS championship series

The Red Raiders and Longhorns will square off again at 8 PM ET in Thursday's Game 2 of the best-of-three series, airing live on ESPN.

Star Lionesses Step Back as England Drops 2025 Euro Roster

England defender Millie Bright claps after a 2025 Nations League match against Spain.
England defender Millie Bright withdrew from consideration prior to the 2025 Euro roster release. (Visionhaus/Getty Images)

England dropped its 2025 Euro roster on Thursday morning, with manager Sarina Wiegman's title-defending squad facing major shakeups after three longtime staples recently withdrew from consideration.

Forward Fran Kirby and goalkeeper Mary Earps officially announced their international retirements mere days before the drop, with Wiegman previously informing 31-year-old Kirby of her omission from this summer's lineup.

Defender Millie Bright followed suit, stepping back from the team in a Wednesday social media post that stated she's "not able to give 100% mentally or physically."

While these shifts don't necessarily spell defeat, England now faces an uphill climb in their hunt for a second straight European title.

The Lionesses will start their campaign in Group D, a tricky division featuring perennial powerhouses France and the Netherlands plus regional rival Wales.

To further complicate things, England is also coming off a rocky Nations League run, failing to qualify for this year's Finals after finishing second behind Group A3 winner — and 2023 World Cup champs — Spain.

Though their 2025 Euro roster is missing some homegrown talent, the England lineup does feature a handful of NWSL stars stepping into the spotlight.

Washington defender Esme Morgan will make her Euro debut after helping lead the Lionesses to the 2023 World Cup final, while Gotham defender Jess Carter and Orlando goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse return to the competition to defend their 2022 success.

All in all, with a refreshed roster and increased parity across the women's game, the Lionesses' path to 2025 Euro victory is now more uncertain than ever.

Washington Spirit defender Esme Morgan celebrates a goal during a 2025 NWSL match.
Washington Spirit defender Esme Morgan will make her Euro debut with England this summer. (Roger Wimmer/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

England's 2025 Euro roster

  • Goalkeepers: Hannah Hampton (Chelsea), Khiara Keating (Manchester City), Anna Moorhouse (Orlando Pride)
  • Defenders: Lucy Bronze (Chelsea), Leah Williamson (Arsenal), Jess Carter (Gotham FC), Alex Greenwood (Manchester City), Lotte Wubben-Moy (Arsenal), Esme Morgan (Washington Spirit), Niamh Charles (Chelsea), Maya le Tissier (Manchester United)
  • Midfielders: Ella Toone (Manchester United), Georgia Stanway (Bayern Munich), Keira Walsh (Chelsea), Grace Clinton (Manchester United), Jess Park (Manchester City)
  • Forwards: Lauren Hemp (Manchester City), Lauren James (Chelsea), Chloe Kelly (Arsenal, on loan from Manchester City), Beth Mead (Arsenal), Michelle Agyemang (Brighton, on loan from Arsenal), Alessia Russo (Arsenal), Aggie Beever-Jones (Chelsea)

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