BREAKERS TAKE COX Marta goes to Bay Area, Boxx is first pick
SAN FRANCISCO, CA –The Boston Breakers selected U.S. national team defender Stephanie Cox with their firstpick in the dispersal draft of Los Angeles Sol players. Cox was the fifth overall pick. Forward Michelle Enyeart who was drafted by the sol out of the University of Portland, was taken by the Breakers in the second round, with the 12th overallpick.
U.S. national team midfielder Shannon Boxx was the first player taken, by Saint Louis Athletica, which traded three players to the Atlanta Beat earlier this week in exchange for the first pick.
With the second selection, the Philadelphia Independence then selected goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc, who led the league in shutouts in 2009 with 12 clean sheets.
The San Francisco Bay Area team, FC Gold Pride, then selected Marta, WPS’s Michelle Akers Player of the Year last year, with the third pick. Marta was a 2009 WPS All-Star, led the league with 10 goals and was voted FIFA World Player of the Year in December for a record fourth time.
“Cox is a world-class defender and one of the most experienced backs in the world,” said Breakers head coach Tony DiCicco. “She will be a good addition to the Breakers not just defensively, but also offensively.”
Last season for the Sol, Cox started all of the 19 games she played in. As a U.S. National Team player, she has recorded 54 international appearances since her first call-up in 2005 for the Algarve Cup. She found herself as the youngest member of the 2008 Olympic team at just 21 years of age. Cox assisted Carli Lloyd’s game winning goal in the USA’s victory over Japan in Beijing. A 2008 graduate from the University of Portland, Cox helped the Pilots win a National Championship in 2005, the same year she was named to the NCAA All-Tournament Team. In 2005 she was named WCC Defender of the Year, NSCAA First Team All-American, and First Team All-WCC.
Other first round selections in the dispersal draft included two first round selections from the 2010 WPS Draft (college draft) with North Carolina’s Casey Nogueira and Nikki Washington going to the Chicago Red Stars and Sky Blue FC, respectively. The Washington Freedom grabbed one of last year’s top rookies, Brittany Bock with the seventh selection. Closing out the first round, Saint Louis Athletica picked up another WPS All-Star and midfielder Aya Miyama.
Several trades took place in the second round with the Bay Area’s FC Gold Pride trading up to the 13th slot to select forward Kiki Bosio, giving Chicago Red Stars their 14th selection in the dispersal draft and the FC Gold Pride’s 2nd round selection in the 2011 WPS Draft. The Red Stars then traded away that 14th selection to Saint Louis for the Athletica’s 2nd round selection in the 2011 WPS Draft. The Athletica used the 14th selection to pick up midfielder Tina DiMartino. Several teams passed on their selections in the third round.
WPS Dispersal Draft (player rights held by the Los Angeles Sol)
Round 1
1. Shannon Boxx, M – Saint Louis Athletica *
2. Karina LeBlanc, GK – Philadelphia Independence
3. Marta, F – FC Gold Pride (Bay Area)
4. Casey Nogueira, F – Chicago Red Stars
5. Stephanie Cox, D – Boston Breakers
6. Nikki Washington, M – Sky Blue FC (NJ/NY)
7. Brittany Bock, D – Washington Freedom
8. Aya Miyama, M – Saint Louis Athletica
Round 2
9. Manya Makoski, M – Atlanta Beat
10. Faith Ikidi, D/F – Washington Freedom
11. Kiersten Dallstream, F – Sky Blue FC (NJ/NY)
12. Michelle Enyeart, F – Boston Breakers
13. Kiki Bosio, F – FC Gold Pride (Bay Area) ^
14. Tina DiMartino, M – Saint Louis Athletica #
15. Estelle Johnson, D – Philadelphia Independence
16. Pavlina Scasna, F – Atlanta Beat
Round 3
17. Pass – Atlanta Beat
18. Pass – Philadelphia Independence
19. Lindsay Browne, F – FC Gold Pride (Bay Area)
20. Pass – Chicago Red Stars
21. Pass – Boston Breakers
22. Pass – Sky Blue FC (NJ/NY)
23. Pass – Washington Freedom
24. Catherine Sorenson, M – Saint Louis Athletica
* via trade with Atlanta Beat (trade prior to draft)
^ via trade with Chicago Red Stars (Chicago receives FC Gold Pride's 2nd Round pick in 2011 WPS Draft)
# via trade with Chicago Red Stars (Chicago receives Saint Louis Athletica's 2nd Round pick in 2011 WPS Draft)
NOTE: Mary Casey, GK, is now a free agent; Midfielder Julie Rydahl Bukh’s WPS rights have been released.
