Portland Thorns general manager Karina Leblanc, pictured at the team's 2022 championship celebration, led Portland's decision-making at Thursday's NWSL Draft.
The Portland Thorns selected Reyna Reyes, a defender out of Alabama and a member of Mexico's women's national team, with the No. 5 pick in the Jan. 12 National Women's Soccer League Draft.
Courtesy Photo: Portland Thorns/University of Alabama
Portland Thorns general manager Karina Leblanc, pictured at the team's 2022 championship celebration, led Portland's decision-making at Thursday's NWSL Draft.
The Portland Thorns picked a top-flight fullback and a forward who scored 50 career goals in college Thursday, Jan. 12, in the first round of the National Women’s Soccer League Draft.
Later, they added an attacker and a goalkeeper out of Michigan State.
Picking fifth overall, Portland selected Reyna Reyes out of Alabama, an outside back/midfielder who has played for Mexico’s women’s national team. The Thorns acquired the pick last week when they traded Yazmeen Ryan to Angel City FC.
With their own first-round pick, No. 12, the Thorns selected forward Izzy D’Aquila out of Santa Clara.
The Portland Thorns selected Reyna Reyes, a defender out of Alabama and a member of Mexico's women's national team, with the No. 5 pick in the Jan. 12 National Women's Soccer League Draft.
Courtesy Photo: Portland Thorns/University of Alabama
Reyes was the SEC Defender of the Year for an Alabama team that reached the national semifinals. As a defender, Reyes was productive in the attack, scoring eight goals in her senior season — including the overtime game-winner in a national quarterfinal win over Duke.
Portland Pilots women’s soccer saw both first-round picks this fall.
Reyes started as a wide midfielder for Alabama in the Crimson Tide’s 2-1 win over the visiting Pilots in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
D’Aquila scored a goal against the Pilots in a 4-0 win for Santa Clara. The 5-foot-7 forward finished her senior season with 19 goals, giving her 50 goals in 78 career games for the Broncos.
The 2023 season figures to provide opportunities for rookies because it’s a Women’s World Cup year, so teams — and certainly the Thorns — will be impacted as key players are away for national team commitments. Portland could be especially thin in midfield as the roster currently stands.
With their third pick of the draft, 24th overall, the Thorns picked Lauren DeBeau, a forward who scored 11 goals as a senior at Michigan State, earning Big Ten Conference forward of the year recognition.
In the third round, Portland traded up four spots to draft goalkeeper Lauren Kozal out of Michigan State with the 32nd overall selection. A first-team United Soccer Coaches All-American as a fifth-year senior, Kozal was the Big Ten goalkeeper of the year each of the past two seasons. To grab Kozal, the Thorns sent $20,000 of allocation money to Houston and swapped third-round selections.
The Thorns traded their fourth-round pick, the final selection of the draft, to Houston for $10,000 in allocation money and the Dash’s third-round pick in 2024.
