The 200 WUSA player allocation distributed 24 players from the United States women's national soccer team to the eight founding teams of the WUSA. The initial allocation list was announced on May 24, 2000, and consisted primarily of players from the American team that won the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup the previous year. [1]
The league allocated three players from the list of founding players based on three criteria:
1 A shoulder injury ruled Akers out of the season, so she took on a spokesperson role for WUSA while hoping to return to playing the following season. When the Orlando franchise moved to Carolina, Carla Overbeck—who had intended to sit out 2001 in order to have another child—agreed to replace Akers as one of the team's allocated players. [4]
The Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) was the world's first women's soccer league in which all the players were paid as professionals. Founded in February 2000, the league began its first season in April 2001 with eight teams in the United States. The league suspended operations on September 15, 2003, shortly after the end of its third season, after making cumulative losses of around US$100 million.
Carolina Courage was a professional soccer team that played in the Women's United Soccer Association. The team played at Fetzer Field on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus in 2001, and then at the soccer-specific SAS Stadium in Cary, North Carolina in 2002 and 2003.
The New York Power was an American professional soccer team that played in the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA), the first professional soccer league for women in the United States. The team played at Mitchel Athletic Complex in Uniondale, New York. The team played from 2001 to 2003 when the league ceased operations.
The Philadelphia Charge was an American women's professional soccer team that played in the Women's United Soccer Association. The team played at Villanova Stadium on the campus of Villanova University near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The San Diego Spirit was a professional soccer team that played in the Women's United Soccer Association. The team played at Torero Stadium on the campus of the University of San Diego in San Diego, California. The team began play in 2001. The league announced on September 15, 2003, it was suspending operations.
Michelle Anne Akers is an American former soccer player who starred in the 1991 and 1999 Women's World Cup and 1996 Olympics victories by the United States. At the 1991 World Cup, she won the Golden Shoe as the top scorer, with ten goals.
Heather Mitts Feeley is an American former professional soccer defender. Mitts played college soccer for the University of Florida, and thereafter, she played professionally in the Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) league; for the Philadelphia Charge, Boston Breakers, Philadelphia Independence and Atlanta Beat. She is a three-time Olympic gold medalist, and was a member of the U.S. women's national team. She played in four matches in the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup, where the U.S. national team finished second. Mitts announced her retirement from soccer via Twitter on March 13, 2013.
Cynthia Marie Parlow Cone is an American soccer executive and president of the United States Soccer Federation. A former professional soccer player, she is a two-time Olympic Gold medalist and 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup champion. As head coach in 2013, Parlow Cone led the Portland Thorns FC to clinch the inaugural National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) championship title.
Maribel Domínguez Castelán is a Mexican former footballer who played for the Chicago Red Stars during 2013 season of the National Women's Soccer League, and was captain and leading scorer of the Mexico women's national football team. She is known internationally as Marigol for her record of 46 goals scored in 49 matches for the Mexico women's national team.
Angela Khalia Hucles Mangano is an American sports executive and former professional soccer player. Hucles Mangano is currently the vice president of player development and operations at Angel City FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), of which she is also a minority owner. As a player, Hucles Mangano played as a midfielder and was a member of the United States women's national soccer team.
Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) was the top-level professional women's soccer league in the United States. It began play on March 29, 2009. The league was composed of seven teams for its first two seasons and fielded six teams for the 2011 season, with continued plans for future expansion. The WPS was the highest level in the United States soccer pyramid for the women's game.
The Boston Breakers were an American professional women's soccer club based in the Boston neighborhood of Allston. The team competed in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). They replaced the original Breakers, who competed in the defunct Women's United Soccer Association, as the Boston area's professional women's soccer team. Boston would eventually get a new expansion team in 2023 that would begin play in 2026.
Teresa Noyola Bayardo is a Mexican footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder. She previously played for the Houston Dash, FC Kansas City, and Seattle Reign FC in the National Women's Soccer League, and for Icelandic club Valur. She has been a member of the Mexico women's national team. She also holds American citizenship. In 2011, she was the recipient of the Hermann Trophy award.
Women's soccer in the United States has developed quite differently from men's soccer. Until the 1970s, organized women's soccer matches in the U.S. existed only on a limited basis. The U.S. is now regarded as one of the top countries in the world for women's soccer, and FIFA ranked its national team #1 in the world after its back-to-back Women's World Cup victory in 2015 and 2019.
The 2000 WUSA foreign player allocation took place on October 30, 2000. It was the first international draft held by Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) to assign the rights of international players to the eight American-based teams. The 16 players were paired and each team selected one pair.
Anna Ulrika Olsson is a Swedish former football goalkeeper. She played for Bälinge IF and Umeå IK in the Swedish Damallsvenskan and spent time with San Diego Spirit and Carolina Courage while contracted to Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) in 2001. Nicknamed "Ucka", Karlsson represented Sweden at senior international level, winning 45 caps between 1995 and 2001.
The 2000 WUSA draft, the Women's United Soccer Association's inaugural player draft held before their initial 2001 season, distributed players to the league's eight inaugural teams. The draft occurred on December 10 and 11, 2000. This took place after each team was allocated three national team players and two foreign players.
The 2001 season was the Philadelphia Charge's first season competing in the Women's United Soccer Association league, the top division of women's soccer in the United States, and first competitive season. The team was coached by Mark Krikorian.
The WUSA supplemental player draft, held before Women's United Soccer Association's initial 2001 season, distributed college players to the league's eight inaugural teams. The draft occurred on February 4, 2001. This took place after each team had already been allocated three national team players, two foreign players and had each made 15 selections from the main draft held on December 10 and 11, 2000.