When the NWSL got rid of the draft as part of a NWSL Players Association collective bargaining agreement in September 2024, joining a professional team out of college became even more about relationship building. The current rookie class is the first to not experience the draft. Here is a look at where the top college players ended up.

Lilly Reale - UCLA to NJ/NY Gotham FC

At the end of the 2024 college season, fans wondered where, perhaps more than anyone else, Lilly Reale would end up. The UCLA Bruin was a standout for all four seasons in California, and frequently attended US youth national camps in her free time. Reale finished her time with UCLA with First-team All-American, All-North Region and All-Big Ten honors. She signed with NJ/NY Gotham FC in early January and scored her first pro goal with the team on April 13, in a 3-1 victory over the North Carolina Courage.

Hannah Bebar - Harvard/Duke to Bay FC

Hannah Bebar’s future in pro soccer was written in the stars - literally. When her freshman season at Harvard was cancelled due to COVID-19, she returned to her hometown of Naperville, Illinois, and practiced with the [then] Chicago Red Stars. Fast forward five years, and she’s a pro - but with Bay FC this time. Her college career, which started at Harvard, ended with a graduate season at Duke, where she helped the team go undefeated and win the Atlantic Coast Conference. She made her professional debut with Bay FC in late March and attended her first USWNT training camp shortly before that.

Sarah Schupansky - Pittsburgh to NJ/NY Gotham FC

Sarah Schupansky made history in the Steel City when she became the program’s first ever player to be named first team All-ACC. Although the Panthers missed the NCAA Tournament in her senior year, she contributed 7 goals and led the country with 15 assists during the 2024 season, and ultimately cemented herself as one of the greatest to ever play at Pittsburgh. Just a few months later, she made her debut with Gotham, starting and playing almost the full 90 in the season opener.

Maddie Dahlien - North Carolina to Seattle Reign

Well, this list wasn’t going to come together without someone from North Carolina. Maddie Dahlien had to work her way to the Tar Heels’ starting lineup, but when she made it there by her junior year, she proved crucial to the team’s success. After the Tar Heels won the 2024 NCAA Tournament, Dahlien left school and took her talents to the NWSL and laced up for the Seattle Reign. She started in the season opener and scored her first professional goal just minutes after the first whistle blew. Like many others on this list, she has a history with the US youth national teams, and attended Emma Hayes’s notable futures camp in 2025, where she practiced alongside the senior national team.

Emily Mason - Rutgers to Seattle Reign

When someone makes an appearance in all of their team’s games as a freshman, it’s pretty obvious that they have the it-factor. This is the story for Emily Mason, who helped Rutgers win their first Big Ten regular season title during her freshman year, making it all the way to the NCAA finals. Mason continued to hold down the back line for the Scarlet Knights as a central defender for the rest of her college career, and she can now be found on the Seattle Reign’s defensive line.

Taylor Huff - Tennessee/Florida State to Bay FC

Huff’s two seasons with the Tennessee Volunteers earned her All-SEC and third team All-American honors. But she had bigger dreams, and transferred to Florida State to finish out her college career. With the Seminoles, she was named the MVP of the ACC Tournament, which her team won. A few weeks after the college season ended, she signed with Bay FC, and shortly after, started in the team’s season opener.

Maggie Graham - Duke to Houston Dash

Graham’s five seasons at Duke were nothing short of monumental. She the only goal in a 1-0 win over North Carolina. That victory marked the only time Duke ever beat North Carolina at home. By the time her career ended, Graham had become one of three Duke players to ever make more than 100 career appearances (another one of those three being her sister, Delaney Graham). The midfielder signed with the Houston Dash in January 2025 and was named the NWSL Rookie of the Month in March, already making a splash.

Riley Tiernan - Rutgers to Angel City

Riley Tiernan was not only one of the best players to go through the Rutgers system, but she was also one of Rutgers’ first-ever athletes to sign an NIL deal. Tiernan, therefore, was a big face of the university for the four years she spent there. She scored 19 goals in 83 total appearances with the team, and became the program’s all-time assist leader, with 34. So far in her professional career, Tiernan has racked up a handful of goals and assists with Angel City FC, and will look to break through to the starting forward line.