ORLANDO, Fla. (Jan. 12, 2024) – Orlando Pride selected four players on Friday in the 2024 NWSL Draft, presented by Ally, adding one forward and three midfielders to the squad. The Pride opened the night selecting midfielder Ally Lemos out of the University of California, Los Angeles in the first round. The Pride followed that up by using their No. 22 overall pick to select Cori Dyke from Penn State University. Orlando rounded out the night by selecting Alex Kerr with the No. 50 pick and Talia Gabarra with the No. 56 pick.
“We were in a really good position coming into the draft if you look at the recent moves we’ve made and how we were building our roster,” VP of Soccer Operations and General Manager Haley Carter said. “This year is different than last year because we came in with a roster that we feel pretty confident in, so as we were making picks, we just wanted to add more quality. The great thing is this year there is a little less pressure on draft picks coming in to make an impact right away, as compared to last year. Looking at the positions of need, you can tell by last year and you can tell by recent signings that upgrading the quality of our midfield was a priority for us. Then, being able to add versatile players, we really like versatility in our players. [The strategy] was the best available, position of need and focusing on bolstering the depth of our midfield and looking at options in our attack.”
The Pride used their First-Round pick selecting Lemos, out of the University of California, Los Angeles No. 9 overall. Entering the draft following her sophomore season, Lemos became the fourth-youngest draftee in NWSL history. Lemos made a massive impact in her two seasons with the Bruins, appearing in 44 matches, all of which were starts and recorded three goals to go along with 11 assists. In her freshman season in 2022, she led all Bruins and led all of the Pac-12 conference with nine assists, helping her earn second-team All-Pacific Region Honors. She also delivered the game-tying assist with 16 seconds remaining in the NCAA Championship match, a match the Bruins would go on to win in extra time, becoming 2023 NCAA National Champions.
In 2023, Lemos earned first-team All-Pac-12 and All-Pacific Region honors as she led all Bruins in minutes played and recorded two goals along with two assists. On an international level, she has attended U.S. National Team training camps from U-14 through U-20, including representing the United States with the U-20s at the 2023 Concacaf Championships.
With their Second-Round pick, No. 22 overall, the Pride selected Dyke, a midfielder from Penn State University. Throughout her five-year career, she appeared in 108 matches, all of which were starts and tallied nine goals and nine assists. In 2023, she was named 2023 Big Ten Defender of the Year after being named a Big Ten Player to watch in the preseason.
During that year, she led all Penn State field position players in minutes played and finished her collegiate career as the Nittany Lions’ career record holder for matches played (108), matches started (108) and minutes played (9,054). She also tallied five goals and six assists in her final season, both of which served as single-season highs. Internationally, she has represented the U.S. Women’s National Team from the U-14 through U-23 levels.
With two picks in the final round of the Draft, the Pride selected Kerr, a forward, out of Texas Tech University with the No. 50 overall pick. The 2023 season was a record one for Kerr, totaling 11 goals and five assists in her lone season with the Red Raiders. Her play earned her 2023 Big 12 Second Team All-Conference honors. Kerr spent her first four seasons playing at Vanderbilt University, where she appeared in 63 games and scored 12 goals and recorded four assists.
With the Pride’s final pick of the night in the fourth round, No. 56 overall, Orlando selected Gabarra who played collegiately at the University of Central Florida. Gabarra is the daughter of former USWNT representative Carin Jennings-Gabarra, making the Pride the first team in the NWSL to draft the daughter of a USWNT player. The midfielder has made 40 appearances for the Knights and totaled two goals and five assists.
TRANSACTION: Orlando Pride selects midfielder Ally Lemos (No. 9 overall), midfielder Cori Dyke (No. 22 overall), Alex Kerr (No. 50 overall) and Talia Gabarra (No. 56 overall) in the 2024 NWSL Draft presented by Ally.
Ally Lemos
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5-7
Born: March 4, 2004 in Pasadena, Calif.
Hometown: Glendora, Calif.
Citizenship: USA
Cori Dyke
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5-6
Born: Sept. 20, 2000 in San Jose, Calif.
Hometown: Littleton, Colo.
Citizenship: USA
Alex Kerr
Position: Forward
Height: 5-8
Born: July 23, 2001 in Boston, Mass.
Hometown: Chapel Hill, NC
Citizenship: USA
Talia Gabarra
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5-7
Born: March 15, 2001 in Annapolis, Md.
Hometown: Annapolis, Md.
Citizenship: USA
