FULL RESULTS
ANAHEIM, Calif. (theACC.com) – Headlined by six first-round selections including the top-2 picks, a conference-record 19 former Atlantic Coast Conference standouts were taken in the 2024 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) Draft Friday evening at the United Soccer Coaches Convention at the Anaheim Convention Center.
The 19 selections are the most among all conferences, as North Carolina led the way with six picks, headlined by the first two selections. The six Tar Heels picked match the most by one school in NWSL Draft history. Virginia extended its streak as one of only two schools nationally to have a player selected in every NWSL Draft (Stanford).
North Carolina midfielder Ally Sentnor was taken first overall by the expansion Utah Royals becoming the first player from the ACC to be selected No. 1 overall since UNC’s Emily Fox in 2021. After scoring six goals and handing out four assists during the regular season, the Hanson, Massachusetts, native was named the 2023 ACC Midfielder of the Year, becoming the first Tar Heel to win a yearly award since 2018. Sentnor closed 2023 with four goals and three assists in the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
Defender Savy King was taken one pick later to Bay FC. Sentnor and King become the first pair from the same school taken with the first two selections since North Carolina’s Crystal Dunn and Kealia Ohai in 2014.
UNC’s Maycee Bell rounded out the first round being the 14th pick in the first round to NJ/NY Gotham FC. The Tar Heel tandem of Sam Meza (Seattle Reign) and Avery Patterson (Houston Dash) were taken in the second round, while Julia Dorsey (North Carolina Courage) was picked in the third round.
Clemson midfielder Hal Hershfelt was taken fifth over to the Washington Spirit becoming the highest picked Tiger since Sam Staab in 2019. Overall, Clemson had four draft picks on the evening, as the Spirit took defender Makenna Morris 13th overall, while goalkeeper Halle Mackiewicz and forward Caroline Conti were picked in the third round by the Kansas City Current and Bay FC, respectively.
Florida State, which claimed the National Championship last December, saw three players selected, headlined by Leilanni Nesbeth with the 10th overall pick to the Chicago Red Stars. After taking Sentnor with the first overall pick, the Utah Royals picked Seminole defender Lauren Flynn in the second round and goalkeeper Cristina Roque in the third round.
Striker Jameese Joseph became the second player ever from NC State to be taken in the NWSL Draft. Joseph, the first pick of the second round by the Red Stars, joins Tziarra King as the two NWSL Draft selections in program history and the Tim Santoro era. King was drafted No. 8 overall in the 2020 NWSL Draft by Utah.
A pair of Notre Dame standouts were taken in the second round, as the Houston Dash took Kiki Van Zanten 21st overall and the Seattle Reign picked Maddie Mercado 27th overall.
Virginia continued its streak of 12 straight drafts with at least one player selected when Natalia Staude was the 24th selection to the Dash. On the opposite end, Pitt saw its first two draft picks in program history, as Amanda West was selected 36th overall to the Dash and Landy Mertz was taken in the fourth round by the Courage.
Since 2019, 66 former ACC standouts have been drafted in the NWSL Draft, the most among all conferences. In 2023, the ACC had the most teams in the Sweet 16 (4), Elite 8 (4) and College Cup (2), capped off with FSU’s national title. During the NCAA Tournament, the ACC posted a 16-4-1 record, the best mark among all conferences.
2024 NWSL Draft Picks
1/1 – Ally Sentnor, North Carolina – Utah Royals
1/2 – Savy King, North Carolina – Bay FC
1/5 – Hal Hershfelt, Clemson – Washington Spirit
1/10 – Leilanni Nesbeth, Florida State – Chicago Red Stars
1/13 – Makenna Morris, Clemson – Washington Spirit
1/14 – Maycee Bell, North Carolina – NJ/NY Gotham FC
2/15 – Jameese Joseph, NC State – Chicago Red Stars
2/16 – Lauren Flynn, Florida State – Utah Royals
2/17 – Sam Meza, North Carolina – Seattle Reign
2/19 – Avery Patterson, North Carolina – Houston Dash
2/21 – Kiki Van Zanten, Notre Dame – Houston Dash
2/24 – Natalia Staude, Virginia – North Carolina Courage
2/27 – Maddie Mercado, Notre Dame – Seattle Reign
3/32 – Halle Mackiewicz, Clemson – Kansas City Current
3/33 – Cristina Roque, Florida State – Utah Royals
3/34 – Caroline Conti, Clemson – Bay FC
3/36 – Amanda West, Pitt – Houston Dash
3/40 – Julia Dorsey, North Carolina – North Carolina Courage
4/52 – Landy Mertz, Pitt – North Carolina Courage