Angel City has acquired the top pick in next week’s NWSL draft in a complicated three-team trade involving the Portland Thorns and NY/NJ Gotham FC and will reportedly use the selection to sign Harvard-Westlake’s Alyssa Thompson, who has yet to register for the draft.
Angel City sent its natural first-round pick, the No. 5 overall selection; its second-round natural pick in 2024; and $200,000 in allocation money to Portland for midfielder Yazmeen Ryan. The team then sent Ryan and an additional $250,000 in allocation money to Gotham FC for the top pick in the Jan. 12 draft. A formal announcement of the moves is expected later Thursday.
The deal with Gotham was the second-most expensive in NWSL history in terms of allocation money, trailing only the San Diego’s Wave’s acquisition of Alex Morgan last year for $275,000.
Angel City declined to comment publicly on the trade or who it hopes to take with the top pick but sources close to the league said the team is focused on U.S. national team forward Thompson, an 18-year-old high school senior. Thompson has a verbal commitment to play at Stanford next year but turning pro now could help her compete for a spot on the U.S. team in this summer’s World Cup in Australia/New Zealand.
Thompson has until 12 a.m. PST Monday to register for the NWSL draft.
The Gatorade High School player of the year in 2021, Thompson made her senior international debut last September at 17, but she was not called into the U.S. team’s first training camp of the World Cup year.
Thompson is also a top sprinter, recording the second-fastest 100-meter time in California last year at 11.74 seconds.
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