Three Bruins Selected in 2020 NWSL College Draft
January 16, 2020 | Women's Soccer
A trio of UCLA women's soccer players were selected in the 2020 NWSL College Draft, tied for the most among all colleges in the nation. Forward Ashley Sanchez and defender Kaiya McCullough were picked up by the Washington Spirit in the first and fourth rounds, respectively, and forward Chloe Castaneda was selected by Houston in the third round.
Sanchez was the No. 4 overall selection by the Spirit after a junior season in which she totaled seven goals and a school record-tying 15 assists. The 2018 first-team All-American finished her career as UCLA's all-time leader in assists with 42 in just three seasons, and she also totaled 23 goals and 88 career points. She owns seven school records in all, including single-game assists (four) and consecutive games with a goal or assist (16).
McCullough joins Sanchez and in Washington D.C. after being selected No. 32 overall. The Pac-12 Women's Soccer Scholar-Athlete of the Year started every game she played at UCLA – 92 overall and 76 in a row to close her career. A 2017 All-Region honoree and 2016 Pac-12 All-Freshman selection, McCullough earned three Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week awards and helped UCLA record a total of 43 shutouts in four years, including 13 in 2019.
Castaneda was selected in the third round as the No. 22 overall pick by the Dash. She had her finest season in 2019, ranking third on the team in scoring with six goals and 16 points and earning third-team All-Pac-12 honors. In 2018, she ranked third on the team in goals scored with five. Castaneda played in a total of 80 games for UCLA, scoring 12 goals with nine assists.
UCLA tied with Virginia for the most selections this season with three, and the Pac-12 led all conferences with 11 players drafted, including the first four picks. With Sanchez, Castaneda and McCullough joining the league, UCLA now has 17 players in the NWSL.
