By Callum Southern
The 2024 NWSL Expansion Draft features the league’s newest expansion teams, Bay FC and Utah Royals FC, who will begin their NWSL campaigns this coming spring. Both clubs are piecing together their NWSL rosters for the upcoming season by selecting up to six available players from the incumbent 12 NWSL teams.
The broadcast for the Draft starts at 7 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.
Here are three story lines to know about the Expansion Draft and how it will affect Racing:
Only Utah Royals FC can pick Racing players
In November, Racing traded for Expansion Draft “protection” from Bay FC, meaning the California club will not select any Louisville players in tonight’s event. As the club previously mentioned, Racing made significant efforts to trade for protection from Utah, too, but nothing came to fruition.
As a result, Racing had to submit a list of nine protected players who are not eligible for Utah to select in the Expansion Draft. The remainder of the roster, except for free agents, is open to selection from Utah, though each incumbent club has the option to select a 10th player to protect should an unprotected player be taken. Racing could lose up to, but not exceeding, two unprotected players.
Racing’s recent history in the Expansion Draft
Should history repeat itself, Racing could be in line to lose another player or two to one of their soon-to-be NWSL rivals. In the 2022 Expansion Draft, Racing lost defender Kaleigh Riehl with the ninth and final pick to San Diego Wave FC.
Louisville received protection from Angel City FC in that draft with the trade for the rights to Christen Press, a move that resulted in Racing choosing eventual team captain and star midfielder Jaelin Howell with the No. 2 pick in the 2022 NWSL Draft obtained from Angel City.
The genesis of Racing’s roster
Not long ago, Racing Louisville found itself in the same position that faces Bay and Utah tonight. Ahead of the 2021 NWSL debut season, Racing had 14 spots to fill from eight fellow clubs and acquired two foundational players in goalkeeper Katie Lund and defender Lauren Milliet, two of the team’s leaders and most influential figures. Both played every minute of every game this past season, and Milliet is the club’s all-time leader in appearances and minutes.
Regardless of how things transpire in the upcoming Expansion Draft, new head coach Bev Yanez and general manager Ryan Dell will have the opportunity to add to Racing’s ranks through free agency and the upcoming 2024 NWSL Draft, which is set for Jan. 12 in Anaheim, California.
