ORLANDO, Florida (December 18, 2021) – Orlando Pride selected forward Mia Fishel with the fifth overall pick in the 2022 University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) NWSL Draft, joining his former varsity coach in new head coach Amanda Cromwell with the selection.

Soon after, Pride acquired OL Reign’s No. 10 overall selection, choosing to select defenseman Caitlin Cosme from Duke University. The exchange also saw Orlando add defender Celia Jiménez Delgado and forward Leah Pruitt to the squad, while also securing a natural 2023 NWSL second-round pick of the reign in exchange for defender Phoebe McClernon.

With the next pick, Pride selected University of Santa Clara forward Julie Doyle ranked 11th overall. The team did not reselect until the third round, choosing to trade No. 29 overall with North Carolina Courage in exchange for the rights of Canadian international Deanne Rose, before removing Jada Talley from the USC two choices later.

“I feel really good. We were able to go out there and catch a few players here that we feel really strong for,” said Orlando Pride general manager Ian Fleming. “A sequence of events that allowed us to take a player that we thought would have to jump higher to get and, in the end, we’re really happy to be able to strengthen in a few different positions.”

A two-time United Soccer Coaches All-American, Fishel has appeared in 59 games, starting 55, scoring 32 goals while adding 14 assists in three years with the Bruins. In her second and junior seasons, Fishel was named to United Soccer Coaches’ Pacific Region First Team while also earning All Pac-12 First Team honors in the same two years. As a freshman in 2019, she led the Bruins with 14 goals, including six game winners, and was named in Top Drawer Soccer Freshman Best XI while also named to All-Pac Third Team. 12 and the Pac-12 All Freshman team.

Internationally, Fishel competed for the United States at the U-15, U-17 and U-20 levels, winning her first call-up to the senior squad for an October 2020 camp. That same year, she was called up to the senior squad. won the Ballon d’Or at the 2020 CONCACAF U-20 Championships after scoring a new all-ages record for the USWNT in a qualifying tournament with 13 goals in the tournament, including a brace in the championship game.

Cosme, 22, spent five years at Durham, making 70 appearances, including 62 starts, scoring 10 goals and adding an assist. As a graduate student in 2021, Cosme led the Blue Devils in minutes played with 1,829 and won the Atlantic Region first team honors from United Football Coaches the previous year as a senior in 2020.

A Santa Clara University product, Doyle helped the Broncos win their second national title in program history in 2020, scoring one goal and adding four assists while captaining the team. Selected three times by the All-WCC, Doyle ended her college career with 70 appearances and 55 starts, scoring 16 goals with 14 assists in total, earning All-West First Team honors as a senior in 2020.

With their final pick on the night, Pride selected Talley from the University of Southern California, having used his fifth year of eligibility. In 18 games with the Trojans, Talley has totaled three goals and two assists. Prior to joining USC, Talley played four seasons at the University of Arizona where she scored 24 goals and added 16 assists. A three-time Pac-12 winner, Talley has started every game except one between her second season and her senior season.

Jiménez Delgado, 26, joins Pride after three seasons with OL Reign, with whom she was drafted in the 2018 NWSL Draft at the University of Alabama. After signing with the club ahead of the 2019 season, she has appeared 33 times for the reign, starting 25 appearances with a pair of goals and two assists to add, with loan spells at Swedish club FC RosengÃ¥rd, at Australian club. Perth Glory and the Eternal Olympic. Lyon in this period also. Internationally, she has appeared 23 times for the Spain national team, winning a start in all three of the nation’s matches in their first World Cup in 2015.

Pruitt, 24, comes to Orlando after two seasons with the reign, appearing 19 times in all competitions with seven starts and two finishes during that span. Prior to joining the Tacoma-based team, Pruitt spent a season with North Carolina Courage, winning both an NWSL Championship and an NWSL Shield as a rookie. After being drafted fifth overall by Courage in 2019, Pruitt would appear 14 times for Courage, scoring two goals.

McClernon, 24, is leaving Pride after a season in the magnificent city. After being selected No.14 overall in the 2020 NWSL College Draft, the University of Virginia would go on to make 25 appearances in purple, totaling 19 starts in a Pride defense that has counted five shutouts in all of the games. competitions in 2021. McClernon would also have won the NWSL’s Team of the Month honors in May of last year, starting every game of a four-game series that saw Pride go 3-0-1 for open the regular season.

Announced in Saturday’s draft, the 2022 NWSL season kicks off on Saturday March 19 with a group match for the NWSL Challenge Cup. For the first time in league history, the regular season will see each of the 12 teams play home and away games against all other teams in the league for a balanced schedule. More details on the setting for the 2022 season can be found at the link here.

The 2022 season passes are now available on Orlando-Pride.com or by calling (855) ORL-CITY.

Round 1, Choice 5:
Selected Mia Fishel, UCLA (F)

Round 1, Choose 10:
Acquired via trade with OL Reign with Leah Pruitt (F), Celia Jiménez Delgado (D) and a natural 2023 second round choice for Phoebe McClernon (D)

Selected Caitlin Cosme, Duke University (D)

Round 1, Pick 11:
Selected Julie Doyle, University of Santa Clara (F)

Round 3, choice 29:
Traded to North Carolina Courage for rights to Deanne Rose

Round 3, choice 31:
Selected Jada Talley, University of Southern California (F)

Mia fishel
Position: Before
Height: 5-7
Born: April 30, 2001 in San Diego, California.
Birthplace: San Diego, California.
College: University of California, Los Angeles
Citizenship: United States

Caitlin cosme
Position: Defender
Height: 5-5
Born: January 19, 1999 in New York, NY
Birthplace: New Hyde Park, NY
College: Duke University
Citizenship: United States

Julie doyle
Position: Before
Height: 5-8
Born: August 30, 1998 in Newport Beach, California.
Birthplace: Newport Beach, California.
College: University of Santa Clara
Citizenship: United States

Jada talley
Position: Before
Height: 5-9
Born: February 20, 1999 in Valencia, California.
Birthplace: Corona, California.
College: University of Southern California
Citizenship: United States

Celia Jimenez Delgado
Position: Defender
Height: 5-6
Born June 20, 1995 in Alcaudete, Andalusia, Spain
Birthplace: Alcaudete, Andalusia, Spain
College: University of Alabama
Citizenship: ESP / USA

Lea Pruitt
Position: Before
Height: 5-8
Born September 5, 1997 in Rancho Cucamonga, California.
Birthplace: Rancho Cucamonga, California.
College: University of Southern California
Citizenship: United States