NEW YORK (Monday, Jan. 8, 2024) – The 2024 NWSL Draft, presented by Ally, begins at 7 p.m. CT Friday, January 12 and will be televised live on ION (for the first two rounds, 7 to 9 p.m.) and streamed on ION Plus (all rounds, 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. CT).
Houston currently holds four picks in this year’s draft starting with the No. 19 overall pick. The Dash also hold picks No. 36 (acquired via trade with Orlando on Jan. 30, 2023), No. 40 (acquired via trade with San Diego on Dec. 16, 2023) and No. 47 in the draft.
Viewers can find access to ION in their areas or via streaming platforms by visiting https://iontelevision.com/find-us \. Fans tuning in to the NWSL Draft outside the U.S. can watch the entirety of the event on Watch.NWSLSoccer.com.
The draft will be held at the Anaheim Convention Center during the United Soccer Coaches Convention. It is open to the public and free to attend. General admission seating is first-come, first-served.
There will be 56 picks in the draft with 14 selections in each of four rounds.
This is the first NWSL broadcast on ION since the announcement in November of a landmark distribution agreementinvolving Scripps Sports/ION, CBS Sports, ESPN and Prime Video. Scripps Sports will televise Saturday night doubleheaders on ION throughout the season. ION is owned by The E.W. Scripps Company (Nasdaq: SSP). The NWSL season begins March 16.
The broadcast team:
- Lisa Carlin serves as a host, analyst and producer on CBS Sports Golazo Network’s “Attacking Third” show, covering the NWSL, the U.S. Women’s National Team and international women’s soccer. In addition, Carlin provides commentary for NWSL matches on Paramount+ and previously enjoyed announcing stints with Major League Soccer, FOX Sports, ESPN and more. Carlin, a former NCAA Division I soccer player, won two Big East championships at Marquette University.
- Lori Lindsey is a former U.S. Women’s National Team Player whose professional playing career spanned 13 years. Most notably, she represented the national team at the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Germany and helped the team earn an Olympic gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics. Lindsey is one of only four players to have played in all three of the U.S. professional women’s soccer leagues and now works in broadcast calling matches for ESPN, FOX Sports and CBS Sports. Lindsey currently serves as a lead analyst for MLS+ Apple TV Season Pass and was recently featured on the NWSL’s coverage of the 2023 NWSL Championship and the 2024 NWSL Expansion Draft.
- Jordan Angeli currently serves as an analyst for CBS Sports Golazo Network’s “Attacking Third” show and as the face of Apple content for the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer. She previously spent three years as lead analyst for the MLS club Columbus Crew on Bally Sports after becoming the first woman in the Crew’s history to hold a full-time TV analyst position. Prior to her time at the Columbus Crew, she worked as both a radio analyst and an in-stadium host with the Rapids. A former player in the NWSL, Angeli’s career includes time spent with the Boston Breakers, Western New York Flash and the Washington Spirit. The 2023 NWSL season marked Angeli’s eighth year on the league’s broadcast team.
- Anna Witte is an analyst for the NWSL, USL Championship and Big Ten Network and serves as a sideline reporter for college football and basketball on ESPN+. In addition to her analyst and sideline roles she hosts a podcast covering MLS and the NWSL called “Straight From The Pitch.” Witte also hosts and edits social media content at sporting events.
ABOUT HOUSTON DASH
Houston Dash are part of the Houston Dynamo Football Club, a multi-faceted organization that includes the Dash, Houston Dynamo FC and the Houston Dynamo Academy as well as Dynamo and Dash Charities. Ted Segal acquired a majority ownership interest in HDFC in June 2021 and serves as the chairman of the Club. Under his leadership the organization completed a multi-million dollar renovation of Shell Energy Stadium in March 2023 and the Club moved into a 27,000 square foot headquarters in East Downtown in July 2023. The Dash compete in the National Women’s Soccer League and began play in April 2014 for the start of the league’s second season. The Dash were the first expansion club in the NWSL, joining the eight original members that launched the league in 2013, and the team captured its first league title with the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup on July 26, 2020. The NWSL is the top-flight women’s professional soccer league in North America, featuring many of the top players from the United States, Canada, and Mexico, as well as talent from around the world. The 22-game regular season runs from March through October. The team trains at Houston Sports Park (HSP), the premier training facility in Southeast Texas, and plays at Shell Energy Stadium in downtown Houston. For more information, visit www.HoustonDash.comor call (713) 276-GOAL.
ABOUT THE NWSL
The National Women’s Soccer League is the premier women’s professional soccer league in the world featuring national team players from around the globe. The clubs are Angel City FC, Bay FC, Boston, Chicago Red Stars, Houston Dash, Kansas City Current, NJ/NY Gotham FC, North Carolina Courage, OL Reign, Orlando Pride, Portland Thorns FC, Racing Louisville FC, San Diego Wave FC, Utah Royals FC, and Washington Spirit.
ABOUT SCRIPPS
The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP) is a diversified media company focused on creating a better-informed world. As one of the nation’s largest local TV broadcasters, Scripps serves communities with quality, objective local journalism and operates a portfolio of more than 60 stations in 40+ markets. Scripps reaches households across the U.S. with national news outlets Scripps News and Court TV and popular entertainment brands ION, Bounce, Defy TV, Grit, ION Mystery and Laff. Scripps is the nation’s largest holder of broadcast spectrum. Scripps is the longtime steward of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Founded in 1878, Scripps’ long-time motto is: “Give light and the people will find their own way.”
