Coming off of their strong 2021 season, the Thorns are retaining their core players, and weren’t looking for players in the 2021 NWSL college draft to make an impact right away. With a successful history of developing college players, the Thorns went for players who could add depth to their already deep roster. Here’s a rundown of their selections:
13th pick: Sydny Nasello, Forward, University of South Florida
Nasello has a public history of racism, transphobia, and xenophobia, which doesn’t with the “open” and “inclusive”—as new head coach Rhian Wilkinson described the team yesterday—culture on the Thorns. We’ll get into that more in a separate piece, but for now, her merits as a field player need to be evaluated separately.
A two-year first-team All American, Nasello has many personal accolades to her name. As a No. 11 forward at the University of South Florida, she had a 41% conversion rate, scoring 11 goals in the 2021 season. She is a strong passer and creates plenty of chances off a dribble. USF is consistently battling for the top of the American Athletic Conference (AAC), and Nasello has scored four game-winning goals to help send her team to the top, winning offensive player of the conference two times. USF lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament, which prevented Nasello from exhibiting her talents on the national stage. In order to fit in with the Thorns’ play, she will need to improve her crosses so as to not be wasteful in the final third. She will need to mature quickly to fit in with the Thorns, both on and off the field. Despite her stats, I don’t rate Nasello.
22nd pick: Gabby Provenzano, Defense/Midfield, Rutgers University
Rutgers has proved a successful college for the Thorns to draft from, with Madison Pogarch—along with the now-traded Amirah Ali—attending the school. Rutgers made it to the NCAA College Cup, falling in the semi-final game to eventual champions Florida State. Provenzano played primarily as a center back, a position where she can learn from The Great Becky Sauerbrunn and Emily Menges. An excellent passer, Provenzano boasts an 86% pass completion rate. Provenzano has received numerous individual awards throughout her time at Rutgers, recently earning All-American, Big 10, All Region, and NCAA College Championship first team honors for her role on the back line. Taking her fifth-year of eligibility due to COVID-19, Provenzano captained Rutgers for three seasons. Despite her holding-down of the backline aiding shutouts, she has posted five goals over her 103 career games. With both proven leadership and solid stats, Provenzano could be a great impact player for Portland—and has a high ceiling to grow.
48th pick: Natalie Beckman, Forward, University of Denver
Beckman is an excellent pick late in the draft. She has posted incredible stats throughout her four years at University of Denver and has the potential to grow into an impact player if she gets a contract with Portland. While Beckman has posted 21 career goals, her 47 assists set a college record. Her crosses are always spot on, and her 78% passing completion rate confirms this. In a system with talented strikers like Morgan Weaver and Sophia Smith, Beckman could prove valuable in feeding balls into the attack. An All-American second-teamer, Beckman helped lead Denver to Summit League champions three times. Beckman is also a competent dribbler, able to get into tight spaces and get crosses off at the endline. She is a two-time Summit offensive player of the season and a two-time offensive player of the region. Playing in an elite-level system like the Thorns will help aid Beckman’s development greatly.