Penn State has record-breaking NWSL Draft

Penn State women’s soccer has been one of the best teams on campus during Erica Dambach’s time as head coach. After playing for the Nittany Lions, plenty of players have moved on to professional success at both the club and international level. But during the 2024 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) Draft earlier this month, Penn State set a new program record with five Nittany Lions selected.

Penn State women’s soccer breaks program record with 2024 NWSL Draft

Penn State women’s soccer had its best night in program history, with a record five players drafted in the 2024 NWSL Draft. The five players tied BYU for the second most of any school in the country. It also made up over half of the total Big Ten players drafted. The NWSL features 14 teams in four rounds, and all five Penn State players were drafted within the top 40 picks.

The Nittany Lions had two players go in the first round, with the Washington Spirit taking defender Kate Wiesner seventh overall and Portland Thorns FC taking forward Payton Linnehan 11^th overall. Forward Ellie Wheeler went to the Kansas City Current with the fifth pick in the second round. Midfielder Cori Dyke went to the Orlando Pride with the ninth pick in the second round. The final Nittany Lion to get drafted was goalkeeper Kat Asman who went 11^th in the third round to Portland Thorns FC.

Penn State women’s soccer now sits tied for fourth all-time with Virginia, boasting a total of 22 NWSL Draft picks in the 12 years. The Nittany Lions are also tied for fifth all-time with the Cavaliers each having seventh players drafted in the first round.

Dambach keeps Nittany Lions at the top

Head coach Erica Dambach has consistently kept Penn State women’s soccer as one of the top programs in the sport. Dambach eclipsed the 300 career win mark in late August and is 259-87-26 in her time leading the Nittany Lions. Penn State has made the NCAA Tournament all 16 years since she arrived in 2007 and has advanced to at least the Sweet 16 each of the last seven seasons.

In the last 16 seasons, Penn State won a National Championship (2015) and two College Cups. The Nittany Lions also have six Elite Eight and 12 Sweet Sixteen appearances. During that time, the Nittany Lions also won 11 Big Ten titles and four Big Ten Tournament titles.

The success that Dambach has had in the postseason, on top of her player development, is putting her into an elite class of collegiate soccer coaches. There is a reason why top-level recruits continue to flock to Happy Valley, and this latest draft won’t slow that down anytime soon.

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