Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
SANDY — Drafts are all about picking potential, and the Utah Royals got plenty of promise with 19-year-old Ally Sentnor at No. 1 overall in the NWSL draft Friday.
Sentnor put up 21 goals and nine assists in just two seasons at the University of North Carolina, where she led the Tar Heels to the Elite Eight in 2023, only to lose 4-3 to BYU and new Royals teammate Brecken Mozingo, who was taken fourth overall.
"She is flawless," Mozingo said of her opponent-turned-teammate, Sentnor. "Her technical ability is through the roof, and I'm so excited to play with her."
Sentnor said she hopes to bring "a really positive, new, fun vibe" to Utah, and described herself as "very bubbly and fun off the field" but with "a lot of competitiveness and technical ability" on the field.
Mozingo and Sentnor both fit a strategy head coach Amy Rodriguez said the team had to bring in players that can play multiple positions and develop on the field based on chemistry and combinations, rather than traditionally rigid requirements.
"We knew what positions that we wanted to get and the depth that we needed to get," sporting director Kelly Cousins said of her first draft experience. "I think it went really smooth for us. We just made sure that we were really prepared, and we didn't have any curveballs thrown at us, which was nice."
Highlights and interview with No. 1 NWSL pick Ally Sentnor from the draft broadcast.
— Caleb Turner (@calebturner23) January 13, 2024
Sentnor said she looks forward to playing with "an incredible group of players" at @UtahRoyalsFCpic.twitter.com/5yFsmroDhE
Mozingo — a Sandy native — improved her offensive production in each of her four seasons in Provo, culminating in a 14-goal, 15-assist season in 2023 en route to the second College Cup appearance in her BYU career. She is one of five former Cougars on the Royals' roster after Olivia Smith-Griffiths was taken with the 20th pick.
"It puts BYU on the map," Mozingo said of the Provo to Salt Lake pipeline. "We're using college as a launchpad to get to the next level, and that's just so awesome. I'm stoked. I still can't believe it."
The other Royals pick in the first two rounds was defender Lauren Flynn from Florida State with No. 16. She started 23 games for the Seminoles in 2023 and put up five goals and an assist as she helped her team to a College Cup national championship.
"I'm just so excited to start this new adventure, and join this new team and see what we can do together," Flynn said. "I've talked to Amy (Rodriguez) and it seems like they have a wonderful thing going, so I'm just so excited to do anything I can to help them be successful."
The final three picks for Utah were Wisconsin's Emma Jaskaniec at No. 26, USC's Zoe Burns at No. 29, and FSU keeper Cristina Roque at No. 33. The Royals elected to trade away the 21st and 44th picks to Houston and Angel City, respectively.
Cousins said the team is looking to add "one or two" more players before starting preseason training in two weeks, but they're "really excited with the squad (they) built, and we can't wait to get started."
