Kansas City Current trade midfielder Victoria Pickett to Gotham for draft pick and cash
The Kansas City Current announced Monday that they’ve traded midfielder Victoria Pickett.
The Current in exchange will acquire a first-round pick in the 2023 NWSL Draft — either the OL Reign’s natural first-round pick, currently held by NJ/NY Gotham, or Gotham’s second-highest selection — and $200,000 in allocation money.
Pickett was the second pick for the Kansas City National Women’s Soccer League franchise and the 15th selection overall in the 2021 NWSL Draft. The Canadian international assisted on the club’s first goal in the 2021 Challenge Cup and scored the winning goal in the club’s first win, against OL Reign on Aug. 14, 2021.
But the Current have a relative wealth of midfielders on the roster after recently acquiring French international Claire Lavogez. Also, superstar Sam Mewis, who has been injured and is out for the season, is likely to factor into the club’s midfield lineup for 2023.
Lavogez was pushing Pickett to the bench despite some excellent performances this season and Mewis’ return would have created a logjam in the midfield. The move also gives the Current their best possible return as Pickett’s decrease in minutes could’ve hurt her offseason trade value.
Pickett has been coming off the bench for a club that’s currently on an 11-game unbeaten streak. The Current (7-5-4) play host to the NC Courage on Sunday.
“Victoria has been an amazing player for Kansas City, and we want to thank her for all that she has done for this club and community,” Current general manager Camille Levin Ashton said in a news release. “Victoria has an incredibly bright future, and we will always view her as part of the foundation which has become the Current.”
Pickett leaves Kansas City with one goal and one assist in 30 starts across 35 regular-season matches.
The Current now have eight selections in the 2023 NWSL Draft — one pick each in the first and third rounds and three picks each in the second and fourth rounds.
Correspondent Daniel Sperry contributed to this report
This story was originally published August 22, 2022 at 12:19 PM with the headline "Kansas City Current trade midfielder Victoria Pickett to Gotham for draft pick and cash."