2000 WUSA draft

The 2000 WUSA draft, the Women's United Soccer Association's inaugural player draft held before their initial 2001 season, distributed players to the league's eight inaugural teams. The draft occurred on December 10 and 11, 2000. This took place after each team was allocated three national team players and two foreign players.

Round 1 Pick Player WUSA team Previous team College1Sun Wen (F)Atlanta BeatChina WNT2Liu Ailing (M)Philadelphia ChargeChina WNT3Fan Yunjie (D)San Diego SpiritChina WNT4Gao Hong (GK)New York PowerChina WNT5Dagny Mellgren (M)Boston BreakersBjørnar6Wen Lirong (D)Carolina CourageChina WNT7Anne Mäkinen (M)Washington FreedomNotre Dame8Thori Staples Bryan (D)Bay Area CyberRaysRaleigh WingsNorth Carolina State

1. First American pick.

Round 2 Pick Player WUSA team Previous team College9Julie Murray (F)Bay Area CyberRaysNSW Sapphires10Lindsay Stoecker (D)Washington FreedomNorth Carolina11Meredith Florance (F)Carolina CourageNorth Carolina12Keri Sanchez Raygor (D)Boston BreakersSilicon Valley Red DevilsNorth Carolina13Jennifer Lalor (M)New York PowerSan Diego WFCSanta Clara14Sherrill Kester (F)San Diego SpiritRaleigh WingsDuke15Heather Mitts (D)Philadelphia ChargeTampa Bay ExtremeFlorida16Kylie Bivens (D)Atlanta BeatNorth Texas HeatSanta Clara

Round 3 Pick Player WUSA team Previous team College17Sharolta Nonen (D)Atlanta BeatNebraska–Lincoln18Jenny Benson (M)Philadelphia ChargeNebraska–Lincoln19Shannon Boxx (M)San Diego SpiritAjax America WomenNotre Dame20Kristy Whelchel (D)New York PowerRaleigh WingsDuke21Karina LeBlanc (GK)Boston BreakersNebraska–Lincoln22Nicole Roberts (M)Carolina CourageRaleigh WingsNorth Carolina23Krista Davey (M)Washington FreedomChicago CobrasNorth Texas24Amy Walsh (D)Bay Area CyberRaysNebraska–Lincoln

Round 4 Pick Player WUSA team Previous team College25Ann Cook (M)Bay Area CyberRaysChicago CobrasWilliam & Mary26Skylar Little (D)Washington FreedomUCLA27Erin Baxter (M)Carolina CourageTampa Bay ExtremeFlorida28Heather Aldama (D)Boston BreakersSanta Clara29Beth Zotter (F)New York PowerHarvard30Jen Mascaro (M)San Diego SpiritNotre Dame31Ruth Van't Land (F)Philadelphia ChargeCal Poly Pomona32Marci Miller (M)Atlanta BeatChicago CobrasSMU32Kimberly Pickup (D)San Diego SpiritBoston RenegadesSanta Clara

1. San Diego got an additional "compensation pick" because Joy Fawcett, one of their allocated players, was pregnant.

Round 5 Pick Player WUSA team Previous team College33Nancy Augustyniak (D)Atlanta BeatAtlanta ClassicsClemson34Sarah Yohe (F)Philadelphia ChargeFlorida35Gina Oceguera (D/F)San Diego SpiritCalifornia StormCal Poly36Nel Fettig (D)New York PowerRaleigh WingsNorth Carolina37Robin Confer (F)Boston BreakersNew Jersey Lady StallionsNorth Carolina38Naomi Stone (M)Carolina CourageNew Hampshire Lady PhantomsUConn39Emmy Barr (F)Washington FreedomCalifornia StormSanta Clara40Carey Dorn (D)Bay Area CyberRaysLong Island Lady RidersUConn

Round 6 Pick Player WUSA team Previous team College41Jacqui Little (M)Bay Area CyberRaysSanta Clara42Amanda Cromwell (M)Washington FreedomCharlotte Lady EaglesVirginia43Kim Yankowski (M)Carolina CourageRaleigh WingsNorth Carolina State44Elie Foster (M)Boston BreakersFoothill FCStanford45Jennifer O'Sullivan (D)New York PowerStanford46Kerry Gragg (M)Atlanta BeatAtlanta ClassicsUNC Greensboro47Raven McDonald (M)Philadelphia ChargeNorth Carolina48Jaime Pagliarulo (GK)San Diego SpiritMaryland PrideGeorge Mason

1. Traded from the San Diego Spirit for a 6th round pick and a 2nd round pick in the February 2001 supplemental draft. Soccer America noted that this trade apparently disrupted the subsequent order of the draft.

Round 7 Pick Player WUSA team Previous team College49Rebekah McDowell (M)Philadelphia ChargeCharlotte Lady EaglesNorth Carolina50Traci Arkenberg-Gatell (F)San Diego SpiritAjax America WomenUCLA51Carlene Stenson (F)New York PowerTampa Bay ExtremeSouth Florida52Sarah Powell (D)Boston BreakersBoston RenegadesBoston College53Maren Hendershot (F)Carolina CourageUtah SpidersBrigham Young54Monica Gerardo (M)Washington FreedomAjax America WomenNotre Dame55Jennifer Mead (GK)Bay Area CyberRaysBoston RenegadesGeorge Mason56Lisa Krzykowski (M)Atlanta BeatChicago CobrasWisconsin–Milwaukee

Round 8 Pick Player WUSA team Previous team College57Kim Clark (M)Bay Area CyberRaysAjax America WomenSouthern California58Erin Fahey (GK)Washington FreedomPortland RainPortland59Staci Burt (M)Carolina CourageChicago CobrasUtah60Allie Kemp (F)Boston BreakersSan Diego WFCUC Berkeley61Kerry Connors (F)New York PowerBoston RenegadesUConn62Missy Wycinsky (M)San Diego SpiritMaryland PrideWilliam & Mary63Michelle Demko (M)Philadelphia ChargeTampa Bay ExtremeMaryland64Julie Augustyniak (D)Atlanta BeatAtlanta ClassicsClemson

Round 9 Pick Player WUSA team Previous team College65Melanie Wilson (GK)Atlanta BeatTexas A&M66Kalli Kamholz (M)Philadelphia ChargeTampa Bay ExtremeNorth Carolina67Margaret Tietjen (M)San Diego SpiritLong Island Lady RidersUConn68Erica Iverson (D)New York PowerBoston RenegadesMassachusetts69Kim Stiles (D)Boston BreakersPortland70Mikka Hansen (F)Carolina CourageFortuna HjørringSanta Clara71Tracey Milburn (F)Washington FreedomUCLA72Theresa Wagner (M)Bay Area CyberRaysWashington

Round 10 Pick Player WUSA team Previous team College73Lisa Náñez (D)Bay Area CyberRaysCalifornia StormSanta Clara74Justi Baumgardt (M)Washington FreedomCalifornia StormPortland75Kristin Luckenbill (GK)Carolina CourageDartmouth76Ally Wagner (F)Boston BreakersWisconsin77Tammy Pearman (F)New York PowerMaryland PrideGeorge Mason78Kara Brown (D)San Diego SpiritBoston RenegadesNotre Dame79Carly Smolak (GK)Philadelphia ChargeStanford80Kelly Cagle (M)Atlanta BeatRaleigh WingsDuke

Round 11 Pick Player WUSA team Previous team College81Mary Pitera (D)Atlanta BeatMaryland PrideNorth Carolina State82Jennifer Tietjen (M)Philadelphia ChargeLong Island Lady RidersUConn83Tara Koleski (F)San Diego SpiritCalifornia StormPortland84Ronnie Fair (M)New York PowerBoston RenegadesStanford85Sherice Bartling (F)Boston BreakersSan Diego WFCSan Diego86Sarah Dacey (M)Carolina CourageBoston RenegadesNorth Carolina87Stephanie Loehr (D)Washington FreedomMaryland PrideWilliam & Mary88Venus James (M)Bay Area CyberRaysUCLA

Round 12 Pick Player WUSA team Previous team College89Megan Horvath (M)Bay Area CyberRaysSilicon Valley Red DevilsSanta Clara90Amy Gray (M)Washington FreedomAtlanta ClassicsClemson91Ásthildur Helgadóttir (M)Carolina CourageBreiðablikVanderbilt92Angela Hucles (F)Boston BreakersHampton Roads PiranhasVirginia93Jessica Reifer (F)New York PowerFC MaltersHartford94Erin Martinez-Montoya (M)San Diego SpiritCalifornia StormSanta Clara95Erin Martin (F)Philadelphia ChargeThree Kings UnitedStanford96Emily Burt (F)Atlanta BeatFoothill FCStanford

Round 13 Pick Player WUSA team Previous team College97Bryn Blalack (F)Atlanta BeatNorth Texas HeatTexas A&M98Beth Keller (F)Philadelphia ChargeChicago CobrasClemson99Jennifer Babel (D)San Diego SpiritAjax America WomenAzusa Pacific100Emily Janss (D)New York PowerMaryland PrideMaryland101Lindsay Eddleman (F)Boston BreakersDenver DiamondsNebraska–Lincoln102Staci Wilson (D)Carolina CourageRaleigh WingsNorth Carolina103Keri Sarver (F)Washington FreedomMaryland PrideMaryland104Christina Bell (D)Bay Area CyberRaysCalifornia StormFresno State

Round 14 Pick Player WUSA team Previous team College105Linda Kurtyka (M)Bay Area CyberRaysFoothill FCNorth Carolina State106Carrie Moore (D)Washington FreedomHampton Roads PiranhasWilliam & Mary107Jessica Post (F)Carolina CourageDartmouth108Lindsay Massengale (D)Boston BreakersCalifornia StormClemson109Rebecca Hornbacher (GK)New York PowerNebraska–Lincoln110Trudi Sharpsteen (M)San Diego SpiritAjax America WomenUC Berkeley111Laurie Schwoy (M)Philadelphia ChargeNorth Carolina112Kimberly Engesser (F)Atlanta BeatNebraska–Lincoln

Round 15 Pick Player WUSA team Previous team College113Dayna Smith (D)Atlanta BeatDenver DiamondsSanta Clara114Laurie Hill (M)Philadelphia ChargeCalifornia StormUC Santa Barbara115Melissa Ribaudo-Cavitt (D)San Diego SpiritCalifornia StormPortland116Melissa McBean (F)New York PowerBoston RenegadesPortland117Jennifer Tissue (M)Boston BreakersSan Francisco NighthawksWhitworth118Silvana Burtini (F)Carolina CourageRaleigh WingsCapilano119Louise Lieberman (M)Washington FreedomAjax America WomenUCLA120Carmel Murphy (M)Bay Area CyberRaysFoothill FCStanford

Draft notes The draft was preceded by an invitation-only combine held over five days at Florida Atlantic University. Although over 500 players applied, only 198 were invited to take part in supervised training and scrimmages. Around 40 of the players had previously been competing in the pro–am Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL), while most of the others were competing at W-League level.

The draft assigned the rights of 15 players to each team. Teams could contract up to five of the players immediately, to start promotional work in their home cities. WUSA's vice president of legal affairs, Rob Kaler, had decided the draft order by randomly selecting envelopes containing each team's logo in a lottery.

In November 2000, WUSA's vice president of player relations, Lauren Gregg, secured five Chinese players after flying to China for delicate negotiations with a somewhat reluctant Chinese Football Association (CFA) and the players' clubs. All five players went into the draft and were selected with five of the first six picks. Top pick Sun Wen was in Rome on the second day of the draft, collecting her award as joint-FIFA Female Player of the Century.

Gregg had traversed the globe since May 2000, trying to sign elite players identified by WUSA commissioner Tony DiCicco. She was not always successful: Norway's Marianne Pettersen accepted a competing offer from Europe's only professional club Fulham, while FFC Frankfurt blocked an approach for their German–American defender Steffi Jones.

American players who had found success overseas, including Colette Cunningham, Denise Reddy and Jill Rutten, reportedly attended the combine but were not selected in the draft. Brazilian goalkeeper Andréia Suntaque and Dutch midfielder Nathalie Geeris were also in attendance but not picked. Each team was restricted to four foreign players, including the two already allocated by the league.

As well as foreign players and combine attendees, college players in their senior year were eligible for the main draft, although a further supplemental draft – specifically for college players – was arranged for February 2001.

Many players, who were typically graduates from leading Universities, faced a substantial drop in salary, even if they made it on to a team's final 20-player roster. A collective bargaining agreement between the players and league allowed a minimum annual wage of $25,000, beneath an average salary of $40,000. After some deliberation, last pick Carmel Murphy decided not to take up her place at Bay Area CyberRays, in favor of going to medical school.

2000 WUSA draft

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