UNC's Sentnor, King picked 1-2 in NWSL Draft; Courage add USWNT's Sanchez

By ANNE M. PETERSON, AP Sports Writer

Ally Sentnor of North Carolina was the No. 1 overall selection in the National Women's Soccer League draft on Friday night, and her teammate Savy King was picked second.

The 19-year-old Sentnor was selected by the expansion Utah Royals. She had 11 goals and seven assists last season as a sophomore and was named Atlantic Coast Conference Midfielder of the Year.

The 18-year-old King went to the NWSL's other expansion club, Bay FC in the San Francisco Bay Area. The defender spent one year with the Tar Heels and was a nominee for U.S. Soccer's 2023 Young Player of the Year.

“I learned a lot at UNC playing center back and I've always been an outside back as well so I'm excited for the next step and to continue learning in my journey as a pro,” King said.

The NC Courage traded the No. 5 pick and $250,000 in allocation money to Washington for U.S. national team member Ashley Sanchez. The Courage then traded the No. 10 pick to Chicago for $175,000 in allocation money.

Sanchez played for the United States at last summer's Women's World Cup. She has appeared in 27 matches with the national team since 2021 and has three goals.

The Courage picked defender Talia Staude in the second round, defender Julia Dorsey in the third round and midfielder Landy Mertz in the fourth round.

The Washington Spirit selected midfielder Croix Bethune of Georgia with the third overall pick. The Spirit traded up earlier in the day, acquiring the pick from the Chicago Red Stars in exchange for defender Sam Staab.

“We can’t say enough about Sam’s reliability and defensive acumen over her five years with the team," Spirit general manager Mark Krikorian said.

The Royals took BYU attacker Brecken Mozingo with the No. 4 pick. Mozingo is from Sandy, Utah, a Salt Lake City suburb and the location of the Royals' stadium. Mozingo, who had 14 goals and 15 assists for the Cougars as a senior last season, was a finalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy given to the nation's top college players.

The Spirit drafted Hal Hershfelt of Clemson to round out the top five.

More than 200 players were eligible for the draft, which was held at the Anaheim Convention Center alongside the United Soccer Coaches Convention. Over four rounds, 56 players were selected by the league's 14 teams.

There were a few other moves on draft day. The Houston Dash signed free agent forward Yuki Nagasato through 2025. Nagasato played the past two seasons with the Chicago Red Stars.

This was the first offseason in which players in the 10-year-old league were eligible for free agency. Defending league champions FC Gotham made the biggest splash, signing national team players Crystal Dunn, Tierna Davidson, Rose Lavelle and Emily Sonnett over the past two weeks.

Angel City acquired midfielder Meggie Dougherty Howard from the San Diego Wave for $40,000 in allocation money earlier Friday.

Defender Arin Wright was traded by Chicago to Racing Louisville for the No. 15 pick in the draft and $125,000. Wright is from Kentucky and played for the Wildcats.

The NWSL's regular season opens on March 16.

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