NEW YORK – The Penn State women's soccer program landed 18 alumnae on nine different National Women's Soccer League opening day rosters, the organization announced ahead of its 2024 season kickoff on Saturday, March 16. All five Nittany Lion selections from the 2024 draft class were signed to contracts with their respective clubs after preseason camp.
Portland Thorns FC leads the league in signed Nittany Lions with four, as USWNT star Sam Coffey headlines the group entering her third season with the organization. Irish Senior Women's National Team performer Marissa Sheva picked up a replacement contract with Portland, while 2024 PSU draftees Payton Linnehan and Katherine Asman both secured positions with the Thorns after being selected in this year's draft. Linnehan was PSU's second selection in the first round, coming off the board with the 11th overall pick, while Asman was selected with the 11th pick of the third round. Both rookies secured roster spots as announced by the club earlier this month.
The Chicago Red Stars, led by team captain and USWNT goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, return to competition in the 2024 campaign with a trio of Nittany Lions on the squad. Naeher leads the group, with 2022 draftees Penelope Hocking and Ally Schlegel continuing their professional careers with the club this year. The Kansas City Current also boast a trio of Nittany Lions, with Elizabeth Ball and Mallory Weber returning to the squad. NWSL draft choice Ellie Wheeler will make her professional debut with the club in 2024, earning a roster spot after being taken fourth in the second round.
A pair of Nittany Lions garnered placements on team rosters with the Orlando Pride and Utah Royals FC, with Kerry Abello and 2024 draftee Cori Dyke beginning the season in Central Florida. Dyke was taken with the eighth pick of the second round and will look to bolster a talented Pride squad this year. Expansion franchise Utah Royals FC welcome a pair of PSU stars for their inaugural season in 2024, with Kaleigh Riehl and Frankie Tagliaferri kicking things off in Salt Lake City.
Four additional Penn Staters will appear on four different rosters this season, highlighted by Angel City FC's acquisition of Nittany Lion legend and 2015 MAC Hermann Trophy winner Raquel Rodriguez from Portland. NWSL champion Ellie Jean also experienced a change of scenery in the 2024 offseason, moving from NJ/NY Gotham FC to Racing Louisville FC this year. Recent Penn State graduate Morgan Messner gets her NWSL career underway after earning a contract with the San Diego Wave. Finally, Penn State's first draftee in 2024, Kate Wiesner, inked her first professional contract with the Washington Spirit after being taken sixth overall this season.
Penn State made history at the 2024 NWSL Draft, shattering its previous program record for most student-athletes selected in a single draft by landing all five of its registrants on NWSL Draft boards. The previous Nittany Lion program record of three selections was set in the 2016 draft following PSU's national championship run the fall prior. For the first time in program history, PSU will feature a quintet of rookies in the NWSL after the Nittany Lions' elite showing in the 2024 draft.
Penn State's five draftees tied for second in the 2024 draft alongside BYU, with both programs sitting behind North Carolina's six choices. The Nittany Lions were one of just 11 collegiate teams to have more than one player selected, joining Arkansas, BYU, Clemson, Florida State, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Stanford, Texas Tech and UCLA. The Blue & White led the Big Ten Conference in total selections and was the only program to notch more than one choice, with Iowa, Michigan State, Ohio State and Wisconsin placing players in the league out of the B1G.
The 2024 NWSL season kicks off on Saturday, March 16, as Portland Thorns FC hits the road to take on the Kansas City Current from CPKC Stadium, the first athletic venue purpose-built for women's professional sports in the United States. Action kicks off at 1 p.m. (ET), with the game set to air before a national television audience on ABC and streamed via the ESPN app. The regular season runs through early November, with the 2024 NWSL Playoff quarterfinal matches set to begin November 9-10. The 2024 NWSL Championship will be decided on November 23.
NEXT LEVEL NITTANY LIONS
Kerry Abello | Orlando Pride
Katherine Asman | Portland Thorns FC
Elizabeth Ball | Kansas City Current
Sam Coffey | Portland Thorns FC
Cori Dyke | Orlando Pride
Penelope Hocking | Chicago Red Stars
Ellie Jean | Racing Louisville FC
Payton Linnehan | Portland Thorns FC
Morgan Messner | San Diego Wave
Alyssa Naeher | Chicago Red Stars
Kaleigh Riehl | Utah Royals FC
Raquel Rodriguez | Angel City FC
Ally Schlegel | Chicago Red Stars
Marissa Sheva | Portland Thorns FC
Frankie Tagliaferri | Utah Royals FC
Mallory Weber | Kansas City Current
Ellie Wheeler | Kansas City Current
Kate Wiesner | Washington Spirit
FOLLOW THE NITTANY LIONS
Visit GoPSUSports.com for more information on Penn State women's soccer. Fans can keep up to date with the Nittany Lion women's soccer team on X and Instagram @PennStateWSOC, in addition to the team's Facebook page at /PSUWomensSoccer.
The 30th Season of Penn State women's soccer is presented by the Smeal College of Business.
