New KC women’s pro soccer team welcomes 6 through NWSL Draft, including a Kansas native

Kansas City’s National Women’s Soccer League expansion team bolstered its squad Wednesday night via the NWSL Draft, selecting six players over the course of four rounds.

The team set to begin competition in the league in Kansas City this season even traded up to acquire a first-round pick.

Despite entering the 40-player draft with no opening-round selections, Kansas City sent $175,000 in allocation money to New Jersey’s Sky Blue FC in exchange for the fourth-overall pick. Kansas City used that pick to select Stanford fullback Kiki Pickett.

Kansas City also had three straight selections in the second round, taking midfielder Victoria Pickett, defender Lucy Parker and midfielder Addie McCain with picks 15-17, respectively.

The club rounded out its draft night with midfielder Alex Loera from Santa Clara as the 36th overall pick and Kansas State midfielder Brookelynn Entz, from Newton, Kansas, as the 38th.

NWSL draftees have the option of returning to their college teams for the spring season, as Kiki Palmer will do. The remainder will soon meet their new teammates and report to preseason camp, which starts Feb. 1.

“Kiki was a player that we identified really early,” Kansas City coach Huw Williams of trading up. “The staff over here have put hours upon hours of time watching film, and consistently, among all of our assistant coaches, she came very high on everybody’s list. It was not only a high-caliber player but also a high-caliber player in the right position for us.”

Pickett won two NCAA championships during her time with the Cardinal, scoring the winning penalty in the 2019 College Cup final. Pickett started every game for Stanford in 2019 and plans to remain with her college team for the spring season.

“I am a very versatile player. I’m a right back who’s not afraid to go up and down that field. I love to coin the saying, ‘I don’t like 50/50 balls because I make sure they’re 60/40’s on my end,” she said. “But I’m very aggressive, very tenacious. Even though I’m short-statured, I make sure that I play like 7-feet tall.”

If Kansas City’s first-round pick came as a surprise, the three picks in the second round were not. In a draft that lasted just under five hours, KC wasted no time selecting a trio to bolster Williams’ squad.

Nabbing a pair of midfielders and a defender to join Kiki Pickett, Williams called his defense the “first line of offense” — he’ll look for his side to begin attacking from the back. Box-to-box midfielder Victoria Pickett, who has already represented her native Canada at the U-17 and U-20 levels, will help in that pursuit.

“So Victoria, first of all, a number 10, a technical player that is comfortable on the ball,” Williams said. “I think one of the best, if not the best, player in the Big Ten, a midfield player that can create tempo and also be a threat to score herself, too.”

Victoria Pickett, no relation to Kiki Pickett, follows in the footsteps of former Wisconsin Badger and 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup champion Rose Lavelle. Pickett said Lavelle has been a mentor.

“Not only an incredible player, but also an incredible person as well, both on and off the field,” she said. “To kind of follow in her footsteps is truly something. So having this opportunity with Kansas City is amazing and more than I could ever ask for.”

Kansas City got itself another box-to-box midfielder in Entz, who played high school soccer at Newton and earned All-Metro soccer honors from The Wichita Eagle in 2016 and 2017. She fits Williams’ vision for the team as a product of the region.

“Brookelynn’s a box-to-box player, going to do the dirty stuff. She’s going to do all the hard work,” the coach said. “Any loose ball is going to be a Brookelynn ball.

“She is a player that I would never want to play against. She’s one of those that will never quit; you beat her once and she’ll still keep on coming. And the whole game long she will make you think, ‘I don’t want to play against Kansas City, because they’ve got that midfield player. She doesn’t stop.’”

KC’s midfield corps will also feature 2020 SEC Midfielder of the Year McCain. The 17th overall pick, she’s another player who can slot into the No. 10 role and pose a threat beyond the box, with Williams saying she’s able to “smash a shot from outside.”

“I think it’s going to be a good challenge and I think my goal is just to continue to build, continue to grow,” McCain said. “Like I said, I’m so excited to experience new things, new teammates, a new coach and maybe even a new coaching style.

Defensively, alongside fullback Kiki Pickett, KC will also be able to turn to British defender Parker, who’s coming in from UCLA.

Parker offers Williams the option of switching to a back three when required, with the defender capable of playing both centerback and right back. She’s also capable of offering an offensive threat on set pieces in the air, which again fits Williams’ play-style of attack-minded defenders.

“She’s competitive, she’s great in the locker room, awesome in the air — a lot of qualities we need from that extra defender,” Williams said. “And I’m consistently saying this, she’s scored so many goals off set pieces, as well — again, another defender that can contribute to our offense.”

Parker represented England at the U-15 to U-21 levels and enjoyed a successful youth career with Arsenal Ladies.

NWSL Draft 2021: Round 1

1. Racing Louisville FC: Emily Fox (UNC)

2. Washington Spirit: Trinity Rodman (Wash. St.)

3. Sky Blue FC: Brianna Pinto (UNC)

4. KC NWSL: Kiki Pickett (Stanford)

5. Racing Louisville FC: Emina Ekic (Louisville)

6. Portland Thorns FC: Yazmin Ryan (TCU)

7. Chicago Red Stars: Madison Haley (Stanford)

8. Washington Spirit: Tara McKeown (USC)

9. Orlando Pride: Vivana Villacorta (UCLA)

10. North Carolina: Deane Rose ( Florida)

This story was originally published January 13, 2021 at 11:17 PM.