Today was the dispersal draft to unwind the Boston Breakers following their unfortunate demise over the weekend. Draft order was randomly determined using a weighted system that gave preference to clubs which missed out on the playoffs in 2017, and a snake system was implemented to reverse the order of each ensuing round. Seattle received the third, 16th, 21st and 34th overall picks in yesterday’s lottery, and clubs were permitted to trade picks prior to the draft. Sky Blue FC received the first pick overall.
In a move just before the draft, Seattle traded their first-round pick in the 2019 NWSL College Draft to Orlando in exchange for two additional picks in today’s draft — the 8th and 11th overall picks, suggesting that the Reign saw some value in the middle of the draft that could significantly improve their chances in the 2018 season.