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Spirit Takes Aly Wagner With First Pick in 2003 WUSA Draft

February 2, 2003 - Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA)
San Diego Spirit News Release


ATLANTA - The San Diego Spirit chose midfielder Aly Wagner with the first overall pick in the WUSA Draft today, held at the WUSA League Headquarters in Atlanta, Ga., bringing the U.S. Women's National Team playmaker and consensus 2002 college player of the year to Torero Stadium. Release Summary

- Wagner, who has played 36 times for the USA, is a prime candidate for a spot of the 2003 U.S. Women's World Cup Team.

- Draft Day Move: Spirit trades midfielder Lori Lindsey and the 18th overall pick, the second in the third round, to the Washington Freedom, for the 15th pick overall in the draft, the 7th pick in second round. With the 15th pick, the Spirit took UNC forward Susan Bush.

- Draft Day Move: Spirit trades defender Anna Kraus and its 2004 Second Round Draft Pick to the Philadelphia Charge for midfielder Kerry Conners.

- With the 17th overall pick in the draft, the first of the third round, the Spirit selected UNC goalkeeper Jenni Branam.

- With its final pick of the draft, the 26th overall, the Spirit chose Pepperdine University defender Susie Palmer.

The Spirit acquired the first pick in the draft via an off-season trade with the New York Power. The 22-year-old Wagner is widely considered one of the most skillful young players in U.S. history and has played 36 times for the full U.S. Women's National Team in her young international career, scoring eight goals with 16 assists. She was a member of the USA's residency program for the 1999 Women's World Cup and the 2000 Olympics and is a prime candidate to make the 2003 Women's World Cup Team.

"Aly is the most talented player coming out of college and is the player we have been focusing on since we traded for the number one pick," said Spirit head coach Omid Namazi. "Aly possesses unique qualities in her game that make her teammates better and will compliment our team very well. She has an amazing feel for the game and where the ball should go to create the most danger for the opponent. You can't coach that. It's just something innate. I know her style will provide great entertainment for the San Diego fans will contribute to winning games."

A youth national team veteran, the 5-foot-5 Wagner also helped the USA win three Under-21 Nordic Cup championships in her career. She was the U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year in 2000. She had a dream season as a junior at Santa Clara leading the Broncos to the 2001 NCAA Championship, the school's first in women's soccer, by scoring the winning goal in the title game in a 1-0 victory over UNC. She also set up two goals in the Broncos 3-2 semifinal win over Florida and named Offensive MVP of the Final Four. As a captain of the Broncos, she scored an amazing 17 goals from the midfield with a NCAA Division I best 20 assists during the 2001 season, earning First-Team All-American honors. Wagner was also a First-Team All-American as a senior, leading the Broncos back to the NCAA Division I title game. She scored nine goals with nine assists while playing in just 18 of her team's 26 games due to national team duty and was named college soccer's top player when she won the Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy. She also was a winner of NCAA Top VIII Award, presented to the top eight student-athletes from all NCAA divisions and all NCAA sponsored sports over the past calendar year.

"It really is a dream come true," said Wagner, a San Jose, California native. "It's a tremendous honor for the Spirit to take me first. When I started college five years ago, there wasn't a place to play after college and I am extremely appreciative of this opportunity. To be able to stay in California, play at a great stadium like Torero, and play with the great players on the Spirit is an ideal situation. I can't wait to get to San Diego and starting working with the team."

But first, Wagner likely has a game with the U.S. Women's National Team as she is a probable call-up for the USA's match against Iceland on Feb. 16, 2003, at Blackbaud Stadium in Charleston, S.C. Kickoff is at 6 p.m. ET live on ESPN2.

As the Spirit traded its 2003 second-round pick for defender Anna Kraus during the 2002 season, the Spirit's next choices came at numbers 17 and 18, the first two picks of the third round, with the 17th pick being acquired from the Power in the same trade that brought the Spirit the #1 pick, and thus Wagner. The Spirit traded the 18th pick to the Washington Freedom in the Lindsey deal, getting the 15th pick in return, and with that pick chose UNC forward Susan Bush, an alternate on the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team. The 5-foot-4 Bush scored five goals and had a team-high 15 assists as a senior from UNC after recovering from two ACL surgeries during her college career. She has 10 career caps and three international goals for the USA.

"I had a hard last couple of years with injuries at UNC, but I feel that I've fully recovered and I'm ready to try to make an impact in the WUSA," said Bush, a Houston, Texas native. "I'm very appreciative of the Spirit for picking me and I'm looking forward to getting to know a new city and new teammates. It's going to be a challenge, but I think I'm ready."

Still in possession of the 17th pick, the Spirit took 22-year-old goalkeeper Jenni Branam from the University of North Carolina. Branam, who is currently recovering from knee surgery but should be ready in mid-March, has five caps (all wins) with the full U.S. Women's National Team and played for the U.S. U-21 National Team as well. She was the alternate goalkeeper on the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team, traveling to Australia on hold in case the USA needed her.

Branam had an injury-plagued season as a senior, but played in 19 games, starting 15, allowing only six goals for a 0.46 goals against average and helped UNC to the NCAA championship game. The Anaheim, California, native played her youth club soccer with the Southern California Blues Girl's Soccer Club out of Orange County.

With its final pick of the draft, the 26th overall and second of the fourth round, San Diego selected Pepperdine University defender Susie Palmer. The 5-foot-8 Palmer helped the Waves to their best-ever season, which included a West Coast Conference title and a fine run in the NCAA Tournament. The21-year-old Los Alamitos, California, native was a First-Team All-WCC choice in 2001 and 2002, and also played her youth club ball for the Southern California Blues.

In addition to the four draft picks, the Spirit acquired midfielder Kerry Conners from the Philadelphia Charge in exchange for defender Anna Kraus and the Spirits' second pick in the 2004 WUSA Draft. Conners played in 18 games for the Charge last season, starting 15, and scored two goals with one assist. In her WUSA career, she has played in 37 games, making 26 starts. The versatile Conners, a University of Connecticut product who hails from Sommers, Conn., can play flank midfielder, at wing forward or at wing back. The Spirit will be her third WUSA team after initially being drafted by the New York Power before the inaugural season.

"Overall we were able to obtain players who fill specific needs on our team, which were flank players, a goalkeeper and players with speed an athleticism," said Namazi. "It was a very good draft for us. I felt we were aggressive and all five players we acquired today can make a contribution to the team."

The Spirit will begin voluntary training with on Feb. 23 with mostly invited tryout players and free agents and then open official pre-season training camp on March 1 with 28 players. The Spirit kicks off their third season of action on April 5 at home vs. the Boston Breakers.

San Diego will play 11 home games at Torero Stadium in the 2003 season featuring the best women soccer players in the world. The San Diego Spirit is a charter member of the WUSA and plays their home matches at the 7,035-seat Torero Stadium on the campus of the University of San Diego. For ticket information, please contact the Spirit ticket office at 1-877-4SOCCER (1-877-476-2237) or 619-692-9872, or visit the club's website at www.sandiegospirit.com.



Women's United Soccer Association Stories from February 2, 2003


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