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2022 NWSL Draft results: San Diego Wave select Girma as no. 1 overall pick

By Lizzy Becherano

The NWSL held the 2022 Draft on Saturday
The NWSL held the 2022 Draft on Saturday / Abbie Parr/GettyImages
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The National Women’s Soccer League held its 2022 Draft on Saturday, paving the way for a new generation to make an impact on the professional scale. 

Expansion team San Diego Wave FC earned the number 1 overall pick, drafting Naomi Girma from Stanford University. She is the fourth Number 1 overall pick out of the California school in the past five editions of the NWSL Draft. For the second pick, Racing Louisville FC selected Jaelin Howell, adding the former Florida State midfielder to the roster. 

Here’s all you need to know about the 2022 draft…

Trades before the draft

  • OL Reign acquired the 8th overall pick in the 2022 NWSL Draft from NJ/NY Gotham FC. In exchange, the Reign delivered its natural 1st round draft pick in the 2023 NWSL Draft and $40,000 in allocation money to Gotham FC. 
  • OL Reign announced the trade of midfielder Kelcie Hedge to Houston Dash in return for the 21st overall pick in the 2022 NWSL Draft and $15,000 in allocation money.
  •  OL Reign traded Leah Pruitt and Celia Jimenez Delgado, along with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2022 NWSL Draft and a 2023 NWSL Draft natural second-round pick with the Orlando Pride. OL Reign acquired Phoebe McClernon.
  • OL Reign traded the 15th overall pick in the 2022 NWSL Draft to the Washington Spirit, in exchange for $85,000 in allocation money.
  • Chicago acquired $25,000 allocation money, and also Washington’s highest second-round pick in the 2023 NWSL Draft. Washington in return received the 23rd overall pick in the 2022 NWSL Draft, choosing Lucy Shepherd from Hofstra.
  • NC Courage traded the NWSL rights of Deanne Rose to the Orlando Pride in exchange for the No. 29 overall pick. Courage used the pick on Haleigh Stackpole, forward/midfielder from Ole Miss.

Round 1

  • No. 1: San Diego Wave FC — Naomi Girma, defender (Stanford)
  • No. 2: Racing Louisville FC — Jaelin Howell, midfielder (Florida State)
  • No. 3: North Carolina Courage — Emily Gray, midfielder (Virginia Tech)
  • No. 4: Racing Louisville FC — Savannah DeMelo, midfielder (USC)
  • No. 5: Orlando Pride — Mia Fishel, forward (UCLA)
  • No. 6: North Carolina Courage — Diana Ordoñez, forward (Virginia)
  • No. 7: Kansas City Current — Elyse Bennett, forward (Washington State)
  • No. 8: OL Reign — Zsanett Kajan, forward (St. John’s)
  • No. 9: San Diego Wave FC — Marleen Schimmer, forward (Grand Canyon Univ.)
  • No. 10: Orlando Pride — Caitlin Cosme, defender (Duke)
  • No. 11: Orlando Pride — Julie Doyle, forward (Santa Clara)
  • No. 12: North Carolina Courage — Kaitlin Fregulia, defender (Cal State; Long Beach)

Round 2

  • No. 13: Portland Thorns FC — Sydny Nasello, defender (Univ. of South Florida)
  • No. 14: Washington Spirit (trade with San Diego) — Tinaya Alexander, forward (LSU)
  • No. 15: Washington Spirit (trade with OL Reign) — Madison Elwell, forward (Vanderbilt)
  • No. 16: Racing Louisville FC — Charmé Morgan, defender (Oklahoma State)
  • No. 17: Kansas City Current — Chardonnay Curran, midfielder (Oregon)
  • No. 18: Chicago Red Stars — Ava Cook, forward (Michigan State)
  • No. 19: Chicago Red Stars — Sammi Fisher, midfielder (Notre Dame)
  • No. 20: OL Reign — Claudia Dickey, goalkeeper, (UNC)
  • No. 21: OL Reign — Ryanne Brown, forward (Wake Forest)
  • No. 22: Portland Thorns FC — Gabby Provenzano, midfielder/defender (Rutgers)
  • No. 23: Washington Spirit — Lucy Shepherd, forward (Hofstra)
  • No. 24: NJ/NY Gotham FC — Kelly Ann Livingstone, defender (Georgetown)
  • No. 25: San Diego Wave FC — Sydney Pulver, midfielder/defender (Washington State)
  • No. 26: Racing Louisville FC — Jordyn Bloomer, goalkeeper (Univ. of Madison – Wisconsin)

Round 3

  • No. 27: San Diego Wave FC — Belle Briede, forward/midfielder (Stanford)
  • No. 28: Angel City FC — Hope Breslin, midfielder (Illinois)
  • No. 29: North Carolina Courage — Haleigh Stackpole, forward/midfielder (Ole Miss)
  • No. 30: Racing Louisville FC — Jenna Menta, forward (Wake Forest)
  • No. 31: Orlando Pride — Jada Talley, forward (USC)
  • No. 32: OL Reign — Kaile Halvorson, forward/midfielder (Santa Clara)
  • No. 33: OL Reign — Olivia Van der Jagt, midfielder (Washington)
  • No. 34: NJ/NY Gotham FC — Hensley Hancuff, goalkeeper (Clemson)
  • No. 35: Chicago Red Stars — Sarah Griffith, forward (Purdue)
  • No. 36: Angel City FC — Lily Nabet, midfielder (Duke)
  • No. 37: Chicago Red Stars — Kayla McKeon, midfielder (Arkansas)
  • No. 38: Washington Spirit — Audrey Hardin, forward (UNC-Wilmington)

Round 4

  • No. 39: Angel City FC — Miri Taylor, forward (Hofstra)
  • No. 40: San Diego Wave FC — Kayla Bruster, defender (Georgia)
  • No. 41: Kansas City Current — Jenna Winebrenner, defender (TCU)
  • No. 42: Racing Louisville FC — Sydney Cummings, defender (Georgetown)
  • No. 43: Kansas City Current — Izzy Rodriguez, defender (Ohio State)
  • No. 44: Houston Dash — Ryan Gareis, forward (South Carolina)
  • No. 45: North Carolina Courage — Marisa Bova, goalkeeper (Purdue)
  • No. 46: NJ/NY Gotham FC — Raleigh Loughman, midfielder (Michigan)
  • No. 47: OL Reign — Marley Canales, midfielder (UCLA)
  • No. 48: Portland Thorns — Natalie Beckman, forward (Denver)
  • No. 49: Chicago Red Stars — Jayda Hylton-Pelaia, defender (Arizona State)
  • No. 50: Washington Spirit — Jordan Thompson, defender (Gonzaga)
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