Hopkins, Spaanstra Taken In First Round Of NWSL Draft

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – A pair of Virginia forwards were selected in the first round of the National Women’s Soccer League collegiate draft on Thursday (Jan. 12) as forwards Alexa Spaanstra and Haley Hopkins were both drafted.

Spaanstra was taken with the 10th overall pick by Kansas City, while Hopkins was selected with the 11th overall pick by North Carolina. This is the second time Virginia has had a pair of first round picks. Morgan Gautrat and Danielle Colaprico were both selected in the first round of the 2015 NWSL Draft.

Virginia has now had 21 players taken in the NWSL Draft in the 10-year history of the event. The duo joins fellow Virginia players Caroline Miller, Molly Menchel, Annie Steinlage, Shasta Fisher, Morgan Brian, Danielle Colaprico, Emily Sonnett, Makenzy Doniak, Brittany Ratcliffe, Alexis Shaffer, Kristen McNabb, Veronica Latsko, Betsy Brandon, Courtney Petersen, Phoebe McClernon, Zoe Morse, Alissa Gorzak, Taryn Torres and Diana Ordoñez as NWSL draft selections.

Virginia has had at least one player selected in every NWSL Draft. The Cavaliers are one of two teams to have a player taken in every NWSL Draft along with Stanford.

Spaanstra earned All-Region honors for the fourth time in her career after earning All-ACC honors for the fifth time in 2022. The forward tallied eight goals on the season to tie with Lia Godfrey for second on the team and also matched Godfrey and Hopkins with five assists this year. She hit a pair of game-winning goals with strikes against NC State and Miami to help lock up the wins. She also set the career record for games started and played at Virginia with 107 games played and making the start in each appearance. Spaanstra finished her Virginia career with 37 goals and 34 assists.

Hopkins earned All-Region honors for the fourth time in her career with her selection this season. Hopkins was an All-ACC second team selection and led the Cavaliers in goals (14) and tied with Godfrey and Spaanstra for second on the team in assists with five. She hit five game-winning goals this season, including strikes to secure wins at No. 11 Georgetown and at No. 21 Penn State in the third round of the NCAA Tournament. She also hit the equalizer against No. 1 UCLA in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament to help send the match into overtime. Hopkins finished her career with 56 goals and 26 assists – 22 of those goals and 14 of those assists came in her two seasons with the Cavaliers.

FIRST-ROUND PICKS IN THE NWSL DRAFT FOR VIRGINIA
2023 – Alexa Spaanstra – Kansas City (10th overall); Haley Hopkins – North Carolina (11th overall)
2022 – Diana Ordoñez – North Carolina (6th overall)
2020 – Courtney Petersen – Orlando (7th overall)
2016 – Emily Sonnett – Portland (1st overall)
2015 – Morgan Brian – Houston (1st overall);  Danielle Colaprico – Chicago  (9th overall)