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By: NWSL Editor
NWSL Releases Protected/Unprotected Lists Ahead of 2024 NWSL Expansion Draft Presented by Ally

Incoming expansion clubs Bay FC, Utah Royals FC to reveal selections Friday, December 15 live on CBS Sports Network

NEW YORK (December 13, 2023) –

The National Women’s Soccer League today announced the list of players protected by NWSL clubs participating in the 2024 NWSL Expansion Draft, presented by Ally. Incumbent teams are permitted to protect a total of nine players, as well as one additional player following the first selection made from its roster. All remaining players must be left unprotected.

NEW YORK (December 13, 2023) –

The National Women’s Soccer League today announced the list of players protected by NWSL clubs participating in the 2024 NWSL Expansion Draft, presented by Ally. Incumbent teams are permitted to protect a total of nine players, as well as one additional player following the first selection made from its roster. All remaining players must be left unprotected. The 2024 NWSL Expansion Draft, presented by Ally, will air live on CBS Sports Network with coverage beginning at 7 p.m. ET. The “Attacking Third” women’s soccer show will also provide additional coverage and analysis during the week of the expansion draft, including an hour-long recap following the Expansion Draft at 8 p.m. ET, on CBS Sports Golazo Network and across @AttackingThird social accounts. Host Aly Trost Martin will lead Friday’s coverage of the expansion draft alongside analysts Jordan Angeli, Lori Lindsey and Saskia Webber to provide commentary throughout the expansion draft. Post-event coverage will continue on Attacking Third with highlights and analysis from Angeli, Lisa Carlin, Jenny Chiu and Webber. Earlier this year, the NWSL announced the asset selection order for Bay FC and Utah Royals FC ahead of the expansion draft. As a result of that process, Bay FC received the first pick in the expansion draft. An incumbent team may lose no more than two unprotected players throughout the expansion draft. The following transactions have given several clubs protection from one or both expansion sides: * Angel City FC acquired full expansion protection in a pair of trades, sending forward Scarlett Camberos to Bay FC in exchange for expansion protection and $50,000 in allocation money and receiving expansion protection from Utah Royals FC in exchange for $100,000 in allocation money and a 2024 international roster spot. * The Houston Dash traded midfielder Joelle Anderson and $25,000 in allocation money to Bay FC and sent forward Cameron Tucker and $50,000 in allocation money to the Royals, securing full expansion protection. * The Kansas City Current acquired $175,000 in allocation money and 2024 NWSL Expansion Draft protection from Bay FC in exchange for defender Alex Loera and sent defender Kate Del Fava and its natural first round pick (No. 4 overall) in the 2024 NWSL Draft to Utah for expansion protection and $75,000 in allocation money. * NJ/NY Gotham FC acquired expansion protection and $150,000 in allocation money from Utah in exchange for goalkeeper Mandy Haught and completed a three-team trade that sent midfielder Ellie Jean to Bay FC for expansion protection. * The North Carolina Courage received expansion protection from Utah Royals FC and $30,000 in allocation money in exchange for midfielders Emily Gray and Frankie Tagliaferri. * The Orlando Pride secured full expansion protection in a pair of trades with Bay FC and Utah Royals FC. The club received expansion protection and $50,000 in allocation money from Bay FC in exchange for the club’s natural first-round pick (No. 8 overall) in the 2024 NWSL Draft and sent midfielder Mikayla Cluff and the No. 26 overall pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft to Utah for expansion protection and $90,000 in allocation money. * Portland Thorns FC secured full expansion protection by trading defender Emily Menges to Bay FC in exchange for protection and $75,000 in allocation money and sending forward Hannah Betfort, $10,000 in allocation money and the No. 33 overall pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft to the Royals in exchange for protection. * Racing Louisville FC acquired 2024 NWSL Expansion Draft protection from Bay FC and a 2024 NWSL Draft natural second round pick (No. 15 overall) in exchange for the club’s 2024 NWSL Draft natural third round pick (No. 34 overall) and $235,000 in Alternative Allocation Money. * San Diego Wave FC received $60,000 in allocation money and 2024 NWSL Expansion Draft protection from the Royals in exchange for defender Kaleigh Riehl. * The Washington Spirit acquired expansion protection from Utah Royals FC in exchange for the No. 20 and No. 21 overall picks in the 2024 NWSL Draft and secured full protection after trading defender Dorian Bailey to Bay FC. The full 2024 NWSL Expansion Draft, presented by Ally, rules and procedures document is available here . ANGEL CITY FC Full Roster Protection CHICAGO RED STARS Protected Players Julia Bianchi (International – Brazil) Ava Cook Penelope Hocking Taylor Malham Tatumn Milazzo Alyssa Naeher Cari Roccaro Ally Schlegel Arin Wright Unprotected Players Jill Aguilera Jenna Bike Brooke Elby (Playing Rights) Sami Feller Samantha Fisher Zoey Goralski (Playing Rights) Sarah Griffith Sophie Jones Amanda Kowalski Karina LeBlanc (Playing Rights) Stephanie McCaffrey (Playing Rights) Addie McCain Zoe Morse (Playing Rights) Sarah Woldmoe (Playing Rights) Mackenzie Wood Grace Yochum (College Protected Player) HOUSTON DASH Full Roster Protection KANSAS CITY CURRENT Full Roster Protection NJ/NY GOTHAM FC Full Roster Protection NORTH CAROLINA COURAGE Protected Players Malia Berkely Sydney Collins Kerolin (International – Brazil) Riley Jackson Kaleigh Kurtz Narumi Miura (International – Japan) Casey Murphy Denise O’Sullivan Ryan Williams Manaka Matsukubo* (International – Japan) *Loan-in protected, does not count towards North Carolina's total of nine (9) protected players Unprotected Players Tess Boade Marisa Bova Mille Gejl (International – Denmark) Hensley Hancuff Haley Hopkins Estelle Johnson Rikako Kobayashi (International – Japan) Tyler Lussi Rikke Madsen (Playing Rights) Fuka Nagano (Playing Rights) Victoria Pickett Brianna Pinto Clara Robbins Katelyn Rowland Meredith Speck Olivia Wingate OL REIGN Protected Players Bethany Balcer Alana Cook Claudia Dickey Sofia Huerta Jordyn Huitema (International – Canada) Veronica Latsko Phoebe McClernon Quinn Olivia Van der Jagt Unprotected Players Olivia Athens Lauren Barnes Elyse Bennett Ryanne Brown Jess Fishlock Samantha Hiatt Shae Holmes Laurel Ivory Jimena López (International – Mexico) Luany (International – Brazil) Alyssa Malonson Maia Pérez Morgan Proffitt (Playing Rights) Abby Wambach (Playing Rights) ORLANDO PRIDE Full Roster Protection PORTLAND THORNS FC Full Roster Protection RACING LOUISVILLE FC Protected Players Ary Borges (International - Brazil) Kirsten Davis Savannah DeMelo Abby Erceg Jaelin Howell Katie Lund Lauren Milliet Carson Pickett Elli Pikkujämsä (International – Finland) Unprotected Players Jordan Baggett Hillary Beall Jordyn Bloomer Kayla Fischer Parker Goins Uchenna Kanu (International – Nigeria) Alanna Kennedy (Playing Rights) Thembi Kgatlana (International – South Africa) Julia Lester Paige Monaghan Maddie Pokorny Olivia Sekany Wang Shuang SAN DIEGO WAVE FC Protected Players Amirah Ali Danielle Colaprico Abby Dahlkemper Naomi Girma Taylor Kornieck Kristen McNabb Alex Morgan Jaedyn Shaw Kailen Sheridan Unprotected Players Belle Briede Lauren Brzykcy Kyra Carusa Giovanna DeMarco Meggie Dougherty Howard Sierra Enge Rachel Hill Sofia Jakobsson (International – Sweden) Carly Telford (Playing Rights) Kelsey Turnbow Shae Yanez WASHINGTON SPIRIT Full Roster Protection