NWSL draft: list of protected players and teams for 2022 NWSL Expansion Draft unveiled

The NWSL draft is about to begin and this weekend, the list of protected players and teams for the 2022 NWSL Expansion Draft was revealed, where Angel City FC and San Diego Wave FC will be able to select players for the next tournament. 

Selections by Angel City and Wave FC will be revealed at the 2022 NWSL Expansion Draft presented by Ally on Thursday, December 16, 2021 at 7 p.m. ET. 

The Expansion Draft will air on CBS Sports Network and stream live on Paramount+ and CBS Sports HQ, the free 24/7 streaming sports news network. 

The draft will also stream live on the CBS Sports HQ Twitch channel and on the CBS Sports HQ and NWSL YouTube channels.

In this expansion draft, league teams will be able to protect up to nine players, including one player from the USWNT. 

The league's press release also disclosed that Angel City FC and San Diego Wave FC will be allowed to select one player from each NWSL team, and no more than one player from the USWNT.

The complete list of protected transactions

The league released the protected transactions for both expansion teams in its press release, resulting in the following deals. 

• Chicago Red Stars received full expansion protection from Angel City and Wave FC. In exchange for protection, Chicago sent the rights to Julie Ertz and Sarah Gorden, and international slots to Angel City, and traded Katie Johnson as well as the rights to Makenzy Doniak and college forward Kelsey Turnbow, and $25,000 in allocation money to Wave FC.

• Kansas City has received full expansion protection as part of an agreement made when the club was formed.

• NJ/NY Gotham FC have received expansion protection from both Angel City and Wave FC. Gotham traded the rights to Kailen Sheridan in exchange for protection and $130,000 in allocation money from Wave FC. Angel City received the rights to DiDi Haracic in exchange for $50,000 in allocation money and expansion protection.

• North Carolina Courage have sent the rights to Cari Roccaro to Angel City and the rights to Angharad James to San Diego in exchanged for full expansion protection.

• OL Reign traded the No. 36 pick in the 2022 NWSL Draft in exchange for $25,000 in allocation money and protection of the team’s forward position group from Angel City. The group includes strikers Bethany Balcer, Tziarra King, Leah Pruitt, Megan Rapinoe and Ally Watt.

• Portland Thorns FC has received expansion protection from Angel City in exchange for the rights to Simone Charley and Tyler Lussi, $100,000 in allocation money and a natural second-round pick in the 2022 NWSL Draft.

• Racing Louisville FC received expansion protection, a natural first-round pick in the 2022 Draft and $75,000 in allocation money from Angel City in exchange for the rights to Christen Press.

• The Washington Spirit traded the rights to midfielder MA Vignola to Angel City in exchange for $30,000 in funded allocation money and protection of its U.S. allocated players. The Spirit also received full protection from Wave FC in exchange for the rights to Teagan McGrady, the natural first-round pick the Spirit received from OL Reign and an international slot for the 2022 season.

Complete list of protected and unprotected players

CHICAGO RED STARS

Full Roster Protection

HOUSTON DASH

Protected Players

Jane Campbell (U.S. Federation Player) 

Rachel Daly (International - ENG) 

Makamae Gomera-Stevens

Shea Groom

Haley Hanson

Katie Naughton

Nichelle Prince (CAN Federation Player)

Maria Sanchez 

Gabby Seiler

Unprotected Players

Michaela Abam

Michelle Alozie

Joelle Anderson (College Protected Player)

Bridgette Andrzejewski (Playing Rights)

Allysha Chapman

Taylor Comeau (Playing Rights)

Nikki Cross (Playing Rights)

Amanda Dennis (Playing Rights)

Hannah Diaz

Marissa Diggs (Playing Rights)

Lindsey Harris

Melissa Henderson (Playing Rights)

Bianca Henninger (Playing Rights)

Savannah Jordan (Playing Rights)

Veronica Latsko

Kristie Mewis (U.S. Federation Player)

Christine Nairn (Playing Rights)

Emily Ogle

Megan Oyster

Ally Prisock

Annika Schmidt

Sophie Schmidt

Jasmyne Spencer

Brianna Visalli

KANSAS CITY CURRENT

Full Roster Protection

NJ/NY Gotham FC

Full Roster Protection

NORTH CAROLINA COURAGE

Full Roster Protection

OL REIGN

Protected Players

Bethany Balcer

Alana Cook

Angelina

Jessica Fishlock

Sofia Huerta

Rose Lavelle (U.S. Federation Player)

Quinn (CAN Federation Player)

Phallon Tullis-Joyce

Ally Watt

Unprotected Players

Lauren Barnes

Amber Brooks

Maria Bullock (Playing Rights)

Stephanie Catley (Playing Rights)

Stephanie Cox (Playing Rights)

Kiersten Dallstream

Ella Dederick

Madison Hammond

Kelcie Hedge

Sam Hiatt

Celia

Adrienne Jordan (Playing Rights)

Tziarra King

Alyssa Kleiner (Playing Rights)

Jimena Lopez (International - MEX)

Kristen McNabb

Sinclaire Miramontez

Cosette Morche

Theresa Nielsen (Playing Rights)

Morgan Proffitt (Playing Rights)

Leah Pruitt

Megan Rapinoe (U.S. Federation Player)

Nikki Stanton

Rumi Utsugi (Playing Rights)

Abby Wambach (Playing Rights)

Dani Weatherholt

Lydia Williams (Playing Rights)

Beverly Yanez (Playing Rights)

ORLANDO PRIDE

Protected Players

Mikayla Colohan (College Protected Player)

Taylor Kornieck

Sydney Leroux

Phoebe McClernon

Alex Morgan (U.S. Federation Player)

Courtney Petersen

Amy Turner (International - ENG)

Marta

Viviana Villacorta

Unprotected Players

Kerry Abello (College Protected Player)

Kaylie Collins Claire Emslie (Playing Rights)

Joanna Fennema (Playing Rights)

Caitlin Farrell (Playing Rights)

Megan Dougherty Howard

Gunnhildur Jonsdottir

Abi Kim

Carrie Lawrence

Camila Martins Pereira (Playing Rights)

Erin McCleod (CAN Federation Player)

Jade Moore (International - ENG)

Toni Pressley

Ali Riley

Parker Roberts

Kylie Strom

Erika Tymrak

Emily Van Egmond (Playing Rights)

Marisa Viggiano

Chelsee Washington

Brittany Wilson

Shelina Zadorsky (Playing Rights)

PORTLAND THORNS FC

Protected Players

Bella Bixby

Crystal Dunn

Lindsey Horan

Natalia Kuikka (International - FIN)

Emily Menges

Olivia Moultrie

Raquel Rodriguez (International – CRC)

Sophia Smith (U.S. Federation Player)

Morgan Weaver

Unprotected Players

Amirah Ali (College Protected Player)

Nadine Angerer (Playing Rights)

Hannah Betfort

Celeste Boureille

Samantha Coffey (College Protected Player)

Marian Dougherty (Playing Rights)

Britt Eckerstrom (Playing Rights)

Marissa Everett

Shelby Hogan

Kelli Hubly

Meghan Klingenberg

Andressa Machry (Playing Rights)

Nikki Marshall (Playing Rights)

Meagan Morris (Playing Rights)

Meaghan Nally

Madison Pogarch

Hayley Raso (Playing Rights)

Katherine Reynolds (Playing Rights)

Yazmeen Ryan

Angela Salem 

Becky Sauerbrunn (U.S. Federation Player)

Christine Sinclair

Abby Smith

Katarina Tarr (Playing Rights)

Rachel Van Hollebeke (Playing Rights)

Christen Westphal

Sandra Yu (Playing Rights)

RACING LOUISVILLE FC

Protected Players 

Gemma Bonner (International – ENG)

Kirsten Davis (College Protected Player)

Emina Ekic

Emily Fox

Cece Kizer

Katie Lund

Nadia Nadim (International – DEN)

Freja Olofsson (International – SWE)

Ebony Salmon (International – ENG)

Unprotected Players

Julia Ashley

Janine Beckie (Playing Rights)

Caitlin Foord (Playing Rights)

Parker Goins (College Protected Player)

Tobin Heath (Playing Rights)

Alanna Kennedy (Playing Rights)

Nealy Martin

Cheyna Matthews

Savannah McCaskill

Addisyn Merrick

Lauren Milliet

Yuki Nagasato (International – JPN)

Taylor Otto

Kaleigh Riehl

Erin Simon

Emily Smith (College Protected Player)

WASHINGTON SPIRIT

Protected Players 

Dorian Bailey

Aubrey Bledsoe

Bayley Feist

Ashley Hatch

Tara McKeown

Julia Roddar (International - SWE)

Trinity Rodman

Ashley Sanchez

Sam Staab

Unprotected Players

Taylor Alymer

Camryn Biegalski

Averie Collins

Jordan DiBiasi

Morgan Goff

Anna Heilferty

Tori Huster

Devon Kerr

Lori Lindsey (Playing Rights)

Joanna Lohman (Playing Rights)

Paige Nielsen

Kelley O’Hara (U.S. Federation Player)

Kariana Rodriguez

Sydney Schneider

Emily Sonnett (U.S. Federation Player)

Andi Sullivan (U.S. Federation Player)

Saori Takarada (International – JPN)

Kumi Yokoyama (International - JPN)