PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — It was a busy night for the Kansas City Current at the 2023 NWSL Draft.
The Current began their draft night by trading Lynn Wiliams to NJ/NY Gotham FC for the second overall pick that they used on Duke forward Michelle Cooper.
Cooper was a highly touted prospect boasting 31 goals and 16 assists in two years for the Blue Devils.
Cooper has also received awards for the 2021 ACC Freshman of the Year, 2021 All-ACC First Team, 2022 ACC All-Tournament Team, 2022 All-ACC First Team, 2022 ACC Offensive Player of the Year and 2022 Hermann Award Finalist.
For their second first-round pick, the Current selected Virginia forward Alexa Spaanstra at tenth overall.
Spaanstra tallied 37 goals and 34 assists in five years with the Cavaliers. The Brighton, Michigan native also was selected to an All-ACC team each season.
In the second round, the Current selected West Virginia defender/midfielder Gabrielle Robinson at 15th overall.
The Current drafted Iowa State goalkeeper Jordan Silkowitz with their other second-round pick at 18th overall. She started her career at Ohio State University where she posted a 1.32 goals-against-average her freshman year. Silkowitz then transferred to ISU and registered a 6.3% save percentage in her final season with the Cyclones.
In the third round, the Current drafted Washington State defender Mykiaa Minniss with the 35th pick. Minniss set a Wazzu record for most all-time starts in program history by a field player; she started all 92 matches in her college career, finishing with over 8,300 minutes played.
Minniss received All-Pac-12 Third Team honors and United Soccer Coaches All-Pacific Region Third Team in her fifth and final season in Pullman.
In the fourth round, the Current selected Vanderbilt defender Ella Shamburger with the 38th pick. She is believed to be the most experienced Commodore in program history, totaling 8,839 minutes on the pitch with 97 starts and 97 appearances.
Shamburger is also the first four-time All-Region selection in program history.
The Current went with a local product with their second fourth-round pick in Kansas midfielder Rylan Childers. Childers went 42nd overall and finished her career with 35 goals and 35 assists in five years.
Childers spent her first two seasons with the Kansas City Roos and was the 2018 WAC Freshman of the Year and earned a spot on the All-WAC First Team. She also rose to the top of the school record books in career assists (24) and sixth in goals (21).
With the final pick of the draft, the Current took another goalkeeper in Ashley Orkus out of Ole Miss at 47th overall.
Orkus is a three-time SEC Goalkeeper of the Year and a three-time All-SEC First Team selection.
