The NWSL released its list of registered athletes for Wednesday’s NWSL Draft with several local players listed.
The league not only changed the name – dropping the word college – from the draft but also its registration requirements. In previous years, only players who registered with the NWSL could be drafted, but now seniors from Division 1 schools will be automatically eligible.
Two familiar names are expected to pop up during the draft in Madison Haley and Trinity Rodman.
Haley, daughter of former Cowboy Charles, won her second NCAA Championship with Stamford in her Junior year prior to the pandemic which robbed us of the 2020 edition.
The former FC Dallas WPSL forward was also called up to a USWNT identification camp by Vlatko Andonovski, but was forced to miss the camp through injury.
Top Drawer Soccer drafted the former Urseline Prep student at #6 to the Chicago Red Stars in their first mock draft.
Haley’s partner in the Stanford front line, Catarina Macario, opted against the draft and signed with Lyon. The Brazilian-born striker is currently in USWNT camp and looks set to become the first naturalized player to represent the four-time World Cup winners in two friendlies with Colombia next week.
Trinity Rodman may be California born and bred, but her father Dennis’ childhood in Oak Cliff provides a strong local tie for another young forward.
“She has some real physical traits that stand out, she’s exceptionally quick and she’s a really hard worker with or without the ball,” US U-20 WNT head coach Laura Harvey told The Athletic’s Pablo Maurer. “She can get around the field with ease, really, and whether she’s in a one-v-one situation defensively or offensively, that’s when you really start to see her true attributes shine.”
Rodman was the number one ranked recruit in the country when she chose to join brother DJ at Washington State in 2020 having previously committed to UCLA. Without playing a single minute for the Cougars, Rodman has registered for the draft.
Who Registered Locally
| Name (Last, First) | College/University | Position(s) Played | Hometown | Youth Club | Citizenship |
| Arthurs, Carli | Stephen F. Austin State University | F,M,D | Lewisville, TX | Solar Chelsea Soccer Club | United States |
| Baltrip-Reyes, Carina | University of Florida | D | Pflugerville, TX | Dallas Texans Soccer Club | United States |
| Berg, Haley | University of Texas at Austin | F, M | Celina, TX | Solar | United States |
| Hall, Kyleigh | Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi | GK | Mansfield, TX | Dallas Texans | United States |
| McCain, Addie | Texas A&M University | M | Lavon, TX | FC Dallas | United States |
| McMillan, Caylon | Stephen F. Austin State University | M | Forney, TX | ECNL 98G FC Dallas | United States |
| Termini, Katelyn | Stephen F. Austin | F, M | Frisco, TX | Solar Chelsea ECNL | United States |
One name to keep a look out for is Addison McCain.
McCain was considered a huge prospect while competing in WPSL with FC Dallas as a high school senior. Although the midfielder doesn’t have the national team credentials of others in the draft pool, she is the reigning SEC Midfielder of the year after making the SEC Tournament semi-final with A&M. Five goals and two assists from ten games in 2020 is a good return when most other players have had an enforced break.
Haley Berg also saw some time in WPSL, and was on the MAC Hermann Trophy Preseason Watch List in 2019.
Ones To Watch
| Name (Last, First) | College/University | Position(s) Played | Hometown | Youth Club | Citizenship |
| Coleman, Gabriella | Oklahoma State University | F | Keller, TX | Solar Chelsea Soccer Club | United States |
| Haley, Madison | Stanford University | F | Dallas, TX | Dallas Texans Soccer Club | United States |
| Rodman, Trinity | Washington State University | F | Newport Beach, CA | Socal Blues | United States |
| Torres, Taryn | University of Virginia | F, M | Frisco, TX | FC Dallas | United States |
Madison Haley wasn’t the only daughter of a Dallas Cowboy you may see. Gabriella Coleman notched three goals and an assist in nine games with OSU in 2020.
Taryn Torres has been a prospect we’ve followed through the national team age groups, although the midfielder was restricted to only three games in 2020.
Neither player has confirmed their participation in the draft but are eligible as seniors in D1 schools.
The NWSL Draft will take place on Wednesday, January 13 at 6pm. The draft will be streamed via the NWSL’s Twitch channel.