PHILADELPHIA -- The University of Virginia’s had a remarkable pedigree at the NWSL Draft over the years, but that never takes away the excitement from the newest crop of Cavaliers to hear their names called.

Alexa Spaanstra kept the UVA pipeline to the pros going when she was selected by the Kansas City Current with the No. 10 pick in Thursday’s 2023 NWSL Draft. Before the versatile attacker could even get her first photo with KC colors, she had to pause to celebrate as Haley Hopkins became the next pro Cavalier with the No. 11 pick, going to the North Carolina Courage.

The back-to-back UVA selections added another line to the program’s history of having players’ names show up on the big board over and over.

“Hearing Hayley’s name and being with so many family members and teammates was truly indescribable,” Spaanstra said. “I’m just super grateful to be here.

“It was kind of unspoken, whatever happens, happens, it wasn’t in our hands so we just wanted to soak in every moment we could.”

Hopkins, who played two seasons at UVA after four campaigns at Vanderbilt (though one was cut short by injury), was able to celebrate with not only her UVA family, but a couple former Commodores teammates.

“That was obviously a surprise, any team would have been a shock, but I’m so excited to be going to the NC Courage,” Hopkins said. “Playing for two different programs and playing under two very different but great coaches has shaped me a lot.

“Darren Ambrose (at Vanderbilt) instilled a sense of resilience and grit, laying everything you have out on the field and he taught me so much about soccer. Then transferring to UVA and playing for one of my favorite people in Steve Swanson, he played a crucial role in getting me where I am today.”

Spaanstra, a versatile attacker who could fill several roles in the Current’s re-tooled attack, also echoed the Cavaliers’ coaching as the reason behind the program’s ability to fill pro rosters.

“Steve Swanson and the entire coaching staff focuses on the development as a player and the technical side of the game but also is focused on you outside of sports as well,” Spaanstra said. “Forming that connection, it really elevates your game in a way because he trusts you and you trust him.”

Hoos in the Pro’s. pic.twitter.com/GrACtfhpP1

— Virginia Women's Soccer (@UVAWomenSoccer) January 13, 2023

Thompson makes history

As was widely expected, Angel City FC selected Harvard West-Lake senior Alyssa Thompson with the No. 1 overall pick, making the 18-year old the first high school player selected in an NWSL Draft. Thompson, who is in the United States National Team player pool, had  committed to Stanford but has eyes on competing for a spot with the team going to the World Cup in July and elected the professional route to pursue it.

Thompson was not present at the draft and the talented attacker now heads to an Angel City FC side that swung a pre-draft deal to land her.

Representing Los Angeles 🌇🌴
We have selected Alyssa Thompson as the first pick of the 2023 #NWSLDraft!

Read more: https://t.co/jQfGppECg0#WeAreAngelCity pic.twitter.com/NCVjR70fVg

— Angel City FC (@weareangelcity) January 12, 2023

Cooper goes at two

Most years, Michelle Cooper would have been a surefire No. 1 overall pick but as it was, she turned into quite the consolation prize.

The Kansas City Current dealt veteran Lynn Williams to Gotham FC for the No. 2 overall pick, quickly using it to select the MAC Hermann Trophy winner. Cooper elected to forego her final two seasons of eligibility at Duke to turn pro, acknowledging she did have some offers to take her talents overseas but cited a strong family draw for opting to stay in the NWSL.

“Chasing my dreams is something I want to do,” Cooper said. “Not only chasing a championship in the NWSL, but also play on national teams and represent Kansas City well.”

Cooper had to wipe away a couple tears when her name was called. The forward, who set a Duke record with a 49-point season that included 19 goals and 11 assists, said she always knew she wanted to play professionally and made the most of each step along the way.

“It’s been crazy,” Cooper said. “It’s definitely been a whirlwind, but I’m trying to take it all in and be present every moment.”

Penn State Chicago Campus

A few days before the draft, Penelope Hocking texted Ally Schlegel, proposing what if, just maybe, the two Penn State standouts ended up on the same NWSL team.

Hocking heard her name called first, the fleet-footed forward going No. 7 overall to Chicago Red Stars in the first round. Schlegel waited until the No. 23 pick but couldn’t hide her excitement about the chance to keep playing with Hocking.

“I’m not kidding, she texted me the other day like ‘what if we were on the same team,’ and I was like, ‘dude, I can’t even process that because it would be the best thing ever,’” Schlegel said. “When I got that call, it was just like ‘no way,’ it felt very like a divine moment. I told them ‘you just made a lot of Penn Staters very happy.’ I can’t even imagine going back to our group chat right now.”

Schlegel was an institution in State College, her trademark pink headband involved in a lot of goals. Hocking on the other hand, only had one year with the Nittany Lions after a superb run at the University of Southern California but stepped out of her comfort zone to come east for a fifth year.

“It was great to play in a different league, the PAC-12 is so different from the Big Ten and I learned so much from my coaches, got a new perspective in a different environment,” Hocking said. “I’m from California, I spent four years in LA, which was awesome and I’m so grateful for that but living in a completely different state was a lot, it was challenging and it really pushed me to be who I am.”

Penn State had its string of having a player selected in every NWSL Draft snapped last year, but there are plenty of former Nittany Lions spread across the league and Schlegel said she’s extremely eager to play against all of them. With Alyssa Naeher already on the Red Stars roster, PSU is carving out a foothold in the Windy City.

“When I think about Chicago, I think about that same Big Ten energy, just hard-working, blue collar,” Schlegel said. “Coming from Penn State, all the things I learned there and being so grateful for my time there, I’m bringing that in. That  goal-scoring mentality and whatever it takes, Penn State had that and I think that matches right with Chicago.”

Schlegel - a Colorado native - and Hocking both said they were looking forward to playing with Mallory Swanson and adding to the Red Stars attack.

“The first step to coming into any team is to make a name for yourself and show people who you really are,” Hocking said. “I’m excited to show my personality in the team and get out of my comfort zone meeting new players and learning from the players who came before me and be in a new environment.”

Oh, what a night! 🤩

Excited to watch our newest #NextLevelNittanyLions show out in Chicago!https://t.co/4oxawKAEc2#WeAre

— Penn State Women’s Soccer (@PennStateWSOC) January 13, 2023

Courage controls first round

The Courage’s roster came out of the first round looking quite a bit different than it started the night.

NC shook things up early, announcing a trade that sent rookie standout Diana Ordonez and a third round pick to the Houston Dash in exchange for the eighth overall pick in the first round. Courage head coach Sean Nahas said the decision to move Ordonez was not an easy one, but made to give Ordonez an opportunity to be closer to her family while netting a fair return.

“For everything she did for the club, it was important to her and being at a young age, very family-oriented, we had to make the best deal possible,” Nahas said. “In today’s world, we wanted to make sure we did what we could for the player.”

With four picks in the first round, the Courage looked to fill a couple areas of need by taking Notre Dame forward Olivia Wingate with the No. 6 pick, Cal defender Sydney Collins at No. 8, Florida State midfielder Clara Robbins a pick later and finally Hopkins at No. 11.

Wingate, who played an integral role in Notre Dame’s run to the NCAA quarterfinals, said she spoke with the COurage leading up to the draft and was elated to be on their radar as a potential selection.

“I’m in a state of shock right now, it just feels like a fever dream to me,” Wingate said. “We’ve been building a program there and I think we all deserved it, to have that type of season and it was just amazing the way it all came together.”