The Orlando Pride is a young team, with a lot of young talent behind it. The Pride will be looking to develop that talent as they continue on their NWSL journey. In no particular order, here are the top five Orlando Pride prospects to watch out for this season.
5. Dani Weatherholt
Weatherholt has been a force to be reckoned with so far this season. She moved around a lot in her rookie year with the Pride, filling in where Head Coach Tom Sermanni needed her to, but this season she has settled into the midfield. While her strengths lie in defensive work, Weatherholt can help push the ball forward and create scoring opportunities as well. Sermanni called her the “Duracell Bunny” because she can go a full 90 minutes and maintain her energy and strength.
4. Nickolette Driesse
Driesse had a strong career at Penn State University, and is still looking for her chance with the Orlando Pride this year. Picked by the Orlando Pride in the 2017 NWSL Draft, Driesse is an attacking midfielder with a lot of potential. She made a brief appearance for the Pride when she replaced Chioma Ubogagu in the recent away match against the North Carolina Courage. Driesse is one of the few players to have won back-to-back national championships with two different schools, winning one with Florida State University in her sophomore year and one with Penn State University the following year.
3. Chioma Ubogagu
Ubogagu played the full 90 minutes in the first two matches for the Pride, and played most of their third match against North Carolina Courage, coming off in the 82nd minute for Nickolette Driesse. Ubogagu has moved around a bit, playing with the Houston Dash and Arsenal Ladies before coming to the Pride. But she’s developing a rhythm in the attack with Camila, and she is a versatile player that can create plays in the attacking half of the field. Her potential remains untapped.
2. Danica Evans
Evans showed early on what she was capable of with this Orlando Pride team. She scored the team’s first goal of the year as a substitute in their home opener against the Washington Spirit, securing the Pride a draw. She came on as a substitute again in the match against the North Carolina Courage and earned her first start in the match against FC Kansas City. One of Evans’ talents is the “flip-throw” throw-in, which basically gives a throw-in the strength of a corner kick. Evans is a continuing part of a young Pride offense looking to connect as the season goes on.
1. Camila
Camila is a young attacking midfielder who has proven her strength and versatility in her first four matches with the Pride. She scored the team’s lone goal against the North Carolina Courage, the only goal scored on that team so far this year. She said that she feels comfortable in Orlando, partially because Sermanni gives her the trust and freedom to experiment on the offense. She’s only going to get stronger as she works with her fellow national teammates Marta and Monica. We’re only four weeks into the season, but already she is a major part of the Pride’s offense.
