Utah Royals FC acquired the No. 8 overall pick in Thursday’s National Women’s Soccer League College Draft from the Chicago Red Stars in exchange for an undisclosed amount of allocation money, the club announced Tuesday.
It’s the first deal of its kind since the league added allocation money to its new compensation guidelines this offseason. The transaction gives the Royals the eighth, 12th and 31st picks in the draft.
"With this pick in the first round we are able to select a player who can bring a more immediate impact to the squad this season, as well as to the team for many years to come,” Royals general manager Stephanie Lee said in a statement.
The Royals recently acquired the 12th pick it the NWSL draft by trading Katie Stengel to the Houston Dash. The also received a 2021 pick in that deal.
The move in line with Lee’s desire to get more youth on a Utah squad that had several starters over the age of 30 in 2019, while also looking to improve play on the field as quickly as possible.
The NWSL College Draft is on Thursday at 9 a.m.
