Newly appointed Thorns head coach Mike Norris had his first big test of the 2023 season at the NWSL draft on Thursday night in Philadelphia. The Thorns desperately needed to redeem their credibility in vetting players after drafting a fascist last year. Fortunately, both Norris and general manager Karina LeBlanc emphasized that it was important that the players they were looking at fit in the locker room.
In my opinion, Norris and LeBlanc had a very successful draft night, and I’m going to explain why.
The Thorns’ approach to the 2023 season seems to largely be to “run it back” and maintain the vast majority of players from their 2022 Championship-winning season. Marissa Everett retired from professional soccer, and free agent Abby Smith chose to sign with Gotham FC, but the Thorns spent much of the early offseason signing key players like Morgan Weaver, Rocky Rodríguez, and Sam Coffey to long-term contracts. Then, the Thorns went silent: coachless and for sale.
It wasn’t until a few days before the draft that a three-team bombshell trade hit, leaving the Thorns without Yazmeen Ryan, who is set to play for Gotham FC. In exchange, the Thorns received $200k in allocation money and the fifth overall pick in the 2023 draft.
Losing Ryan, who had a breakout 2022 season on the wing, is not ideal—especially during a World Cup year. But the Thorns have a plethora of quality options to slot into her place, including Janine Beckie and new draftees Izzy D’Aquila and Laruen DeBeau.
Norris and LeBlanc were tight-lipped about their strategy heading into the draft, but the goal seems clearin retrospect: with nearly the entire starting XI expected to represent their countries during the 2023 WWC, the Thorns need quality depth players who are ready for the speed and physicality of the NWSL. With the four picks in the 2023 draft, the Thorns succeeded in meeting that goal.
Reyna Reyes, University of Alabama, LB
Reyna Reyes is without a doubt the future of the Thorns’ defense. With Meghan Klingenberg, Becky Sauerbrunn, and Emily Menges all reaching the twilight of their careers, Reyes is the team’s long-term option at left back. Already capped with the Mexican senior national team, Reyes put up ridiculously high passing, crossing, and dribbling numbers during her time in Alabama. The 2022 SEC Defender of the Year is able to put players on skates and should be able to match Kling and Natalia Kuikka’s aggression going forward if the Thorns choose to continue using their wingbacks as playmakers in the box. Reyes’ boasts a long list of accolades; she was a 2022 Mac Hermann semi-finalist, 2022 USC All-American first team selection, and Honda Award finalist. She helped Alabama reach the semifinals of the College Cup for the first time in program history, capping a college career of 79 starts, 15 goals, and five assists over four years. Fortunately for the Thorns and unfortunately for her national team, Mexico won’t be at this year’s WWC, so Portland will have Reyes for the full 2023 season.
Izzy D’Aquila, Santa Clara University, FW
Izzy D’Aquila is one of the most clutch forwards in the college game. In the 2022 season alone, she scored 19 goals and had five assists in 21 games, bringing her tally up to 50 career goals. Of those 19, six were game winners. D’Aquila has a conversion rate of 29% across her four years as a Bronco. She was a national-championship winner with Santa Clara in 2020, scoring the game-winning penalty kick against Florida State. D’Aquila also helped the Broncos to the 2021 College Cup, where they fell short in the semi-finals, and helped captain the team to winning the WCC three years in a row. She is a three time WCC first team recipient. With Sophia Smith headed to New Zealand and Australia, D’Aquila will have plenty of time to show off her scoring skills with both feet and her head, especially if her unbelievable run of form transfers to the professional game.
Lauren DeBeau, Michigan State University, FW
Lauren DeBeau is another incredibly prolific goalscorer who should get playing time this season. DeBeau had a conversion rate of 41% in 2022, scoring 11 goals and providing four assists in 22 games, five of which were game winners. She was the first ever athlete to take home the Big 10 Forward of the Year award for MSU, and her 2022 season earned her second-team All American honors. DeBeau is both a savvy play-maker and a clinical goal scorer. She helped send MSU to the Big 10 Championship game with a game-winning goal—and to the second round of the NCAA tournament with the game-winning assist. She is a confident dribbler, completing nearly four a game, and wins over 50% of her aerial duels.
Lauren Kozal, Michigan State University, GK
If Nadine Angerer selects a goalkeeper, you can be assured that they are incredibly talented. Lauren Kozal earned first-team All American honors in 2022, and was the first Spartan to be a Mac Hermann Trophy semi-finalist. After taking one redshirt year as a freshman, Kozal started every remaining game for Michigan State over the next three years, giving her plenty of time to hone her skills in goal. Over 23 games her senior season, she allowed only 15 goals and had 63 saves— giving her a save percentage of 0.81%—alongside ten shutouts. Under the tutelage of Angerer, Kozal should become a force to be reckoned with over the coming years.
It is clear that the Thorns have found players who can not only make an immediate impact in a year in which they will have a lot of playing time, but also players who have the potential to become longtime stalwarts of the club.
Give the Thorn’s draft class an A+.