PORTLAND, Ore. – Portland Thorns FC today announced that the club has acquired the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NWSL College Draft from the Orlando Pride in exchange for defender Emily Sonnett, the rights to forward Caitlin Foord and the seventh and 14th pick in the 2020 draft.
“Coming into the offseason we knew we would have to make several bold moves that strengthen the team with the objective of getting back to the NWSL Final,” said Gavin Wilkinson, general manager and president of soccer for Thorns FC. “Acquiring the first pick in the draft was essential for us and we believe the player we select will not only help in the short term, but will be someone that will grow with the club and become a fixture in this team for years to come.”
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Sonnett, 26, arrived in Portland ahead of the 2016 season after she was selected by the club No. 1 overall in the 2016 NWSL College Draft. In four seasons with Thorns FC, Sonnett appeared in 72 matches (71 starts), tallying six goals and two assists.
Foord, 25, appeared in 23 matches (11 starts) for Portland during the 2018 and 2019 seasons after she was acquired in a trade with Reign FC, tallying three goals and two assists.
“We are grateful for Emily and Caitlin’s contributions during their time with the club and we wish them the best as they continue forward in their professional careers,” said Mark Parsons, Thorns FC head coach. “We are excited for the opportunity to secure an extremely talented player in this year’s draft and have identified a player that we believe can make an immediate impact on our team.
With the trade, Thorns FC now have one first round pick (1), two second round picks (15,16), one third round pick (25) and one fourth round pick (34) in the 2020 NWSL College Draft, which will take place at the United Soccer Coaches Convention in Baltimore on Thursday, Jan. 16, at 8 a.m. (Pacific).
