2000 WUSA foreign player allocation

Each team had already been allocated three national team players ("founders") on May 24, 2000.{{cite news|url=http://www.soccertimes.com/proleagues/wusa/2000/may24.htm|title=Hamm is assigned to play in Washington as first 24 allocations are announced|work=SoccerTimes.com|accessdate=21 October 2013|date=24 May 2000|first=Robert|last=Wagman|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130510084736/http://www.soccertimes.com/proleagues/wusa/2000/may24.htm|archive-date=10 May 2013|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}} The teams then arranged the order for the foreign player allocation between themselves, using a voting system which took account of the previous allocation.{{cite news|url=http://www.soccertimes.com/proleagues/wusa/2000/oct31.htm|title=WUSA conducts inaugural foreign player allocation draft|work=SoccerTimes.com|accessdate=21 October 2013|date=31 October 2000|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130510060631/http://www.soccertimes.com/proleagues/wusa/2000/oct31.htm|archive-date=10 May 2013|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}} The 16 players to be allocated included some of the top players from around the world. Eight of them, including all four Brazilians, had signed for the league the day before the draft.{{cite news|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/soccer/us/news/2000/10/29/wusa_signings_ap/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010710113417/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/soccer/us/news/2000/10/29/wusa_signings_ap/|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 10, 2001|title=Eight more foreign players join WUSA|work=CNN Sports Illustrated|accessdate=21 October 2013|date=29 October 2000}} The players were packaged into pairs as part of an effort to help them adapt to life in America.{{cite news|url=http://equalizersoccer.com/2013/01/18/sorting-through-the-history-of-womens-league-drafts/|title=Sorting through the history of women's league drafts|work=Equalizer Soccer|accessdate=December 30, 2013|date=January 18, 2013|first=Dan|last=Lauletta}}

A 15-round main draft, which also included foreign players, followed on December 10–11, 2000.{{cite news|url=http://www.socceramerica.com/article/13409/wusa-complete-draft-results.html|title=WUSA: Complete Draft Results|work=Soccer America|accessdate=21 October 2013|date=11 December 2000}} A supplemental college draft on February 4, 2001 completed the process before the inaugural season began in April 2001.{{cite news|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/soccer/us/news/2001/02/04/wusa_draft_ap/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010215044725/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/soccer/us/news/2001/02/04/wusa_draft_ap/|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 15, 2001|title=WUSA holds supplemental draft|work=CNN Sports Illustrated|accessdate=21 October 2013|date=4 February 2001}} In common with Major League Soccer, WUSA had a single-entity ownership structure. This meant that the league office owned the players' contracts and negotiated all agreements. Each team got an $800,000 salary cap to cover their final roster of 20 players.

Sports Illustrated soccer journalist Grant Wahl described Philadelphia's second round pick of Smith and Fitschen ahead of Sissi and Kátia as "a boneheaded move".{{cite news|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1022474/2/index.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140220022654/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1022474/2/index.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 20, 2014|work=Sports Illustrated|accessdate=23 October 2013|date=7 May 2001|first=Grant|last=Wahl|authorlink=Grant Wahl|title=Soccer}} The slur angered Smith, who later extracted an apology from Wahl.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_YHqAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA63|title=Footballer - My Story|accessdate=23 October 2013|date=2013|first=Kelly|last=Smith|authorlink=Kelly Smith|page=63|isbn=978-0552166430}}

{{reflist}}

{{Women's United Soccer Association}}

2001

Foreign