Racing Louisville FC made four picks in Friday night’s NWSL Draft, presented by Ally, with the bunch headlined by reigning Pac-12 Conference Forward of the Year Reilyn Turner.
The former UCLA star Turner went to Racing Louisville at No. 6 overall before the club selected Ohio State forward Emma Sears (No. 28, second round), Iowa defender Sam Cary (No. 48, fourth round) and Texas Tech goalkeeper Madison White (No. 54, fourth round).
Racing also completed another major piece of business minutes ahead of the draft, trading the 15th overall pick to the Chicago Red Stars along with $125,000 in allocation money in exchange for Arin Wright. The veteran defender and Bluegrass State native starred collegiately at the University of Kentucky, where she’s in the athletics hall of fame.
“I can’t wait to start working with this group,” said Racing head coach Bev Yanez. “We worked hard identifying players we felt would fill our specific roster needs the best. We feel we were able to add to our squad on the pitch and in the locker room. I am looking forward to the start of preseason with a competitive group that can build together.”
“Today could not have gone better for our organization,” said Racing general manager Ryan Dell. “We started the day by adding Arin Wright, an experienced defender who will have a big presence in our locker room, then we finished strong with four great selections. We’re so excited to get this preseason started, and I can’t wait to see how Bev shapes and builds our team.”
Racing’s draft picks will have the opportunity to earn contracts starting later this month as they enter preseason camp with the rest of Louisville’s roster. The club enters its first season under Yanez having narrowly missed the NWSL Playoffs last year.
Returning is a strong core including U.S. Women’s National Team member Savannah DeMelo and captain Jaelin Howell in the midfield; veterans Abby Erceg and Carson Pickett in defense; and standout shot stopper Katie Lund in goal. The forward position, however, seemed an area of need going into the draft.
Turner, a U.S. Youth National Team regular, scored double-digit goals in each of her four seasons at UCLA, finishing with 42 career scores and 15 assists. She laughed Friday evening when reminding Racing’s staff that she scored against Louisville for the U.S. Under-23 team in the Portland preseason tournament in March 2023.
“I think I have a lot of layers to my game, and luckily enough for me, I was able to learn from the players around me at UCLA,” said Turner, who scored 10 goals as a senior last fall.
In 2022, she was named the NCAA College Cup’s Most Outstanding Offensive Player as the Bruins won a national championship. Her late equalizer in the title game pushed the contest to overtime.
“I just think that the overwhelming support I’ve had from my teammates and coaches has really gotten me ready for this next chapter in my life,” Turner said, “and I’m excited to get to it.”
Racing’s 26-game regular season will open March 16. Though a full schedule is pending, Louisville will play the league’s 13 other clubs home and away over a seven-month campaign. Season, group and premium tickets are now on sale at RacingLouFC.com/tickets.
Here’s more on Racing’s 2024 draft class …
No. 6: Reilyn Turner (Forward, UCLA)
From Aliso Viejo, California, Turner totaled 42 goals – including a game-tying strike with 16 seconds to play in the 2022 College Cup final – during her standout UCLA career. Also a regular in the U.S. youth international ranks, she’s been called up to 20 camps, among them a U-23 group that played against Racing in the 2023 preseason. She is the first UCLA player to be named Pac-12 Forward of the Year, and she finished her collegiate career with All-American honors.
No. 28: Emma Sears (Forward, Ohio State)
Sears, who played five seasons for her home state Buckeyes, turned professional after an All-Big Ten Conference First Team campaign last fall. She scored 25 goals during her collegiate career and had a knack for setting up her teammates, too, assisting both goals last Sept. 28 in a 2-1 victory over Indiana. A December graduate, Sears is also a three-time Ohio State Scholar-Athlete and was roommates in Columbus with Racing midfielder Kayla Fischer.
No. 48: Sam Cary (Defender, Iowa)
A Missouri native who played for the same youth club as Racing forward Kirsten (Davis) Wright, Cary joins the pro ranks after earning All-Big Ten Second Team honors with the Hawkeyes. She’s the first Iowa player to be selected in an NWSL Draft, and she leaves the program as its all-time minutes leader.
No. 54: Madison White (Goalkeeper, Texas Tech)
Another draftee with a connection to Kirsten Wright, White reunites with her former Texas Tech teammate in Louisville. The Texas native was a first team All-American and the Big 12 Goalkeeper of the Year. She earned All-Big 12 honors three different seasons and departs the Red Raiders program as its all-time leader in shutouts (39) and goalkeeper wins (52).
