2017 NWSL Draft: Pride Selects FW Danica Evans

LOS ANGELES — With the 22nd overall pick, their first of the day, the Pride selected forward Danica Evans out of the University of Colorado.

Evans is currently a member of the U.S. U-23 team and is coming off a season with 11 goals and six assists with the Buffs.

“It’s amazing and I’m so glad that the Orlando Pride decided to draft me today, and I couldn’t be more thankful,” Evans said after coming off the draft stage.

A transfer from the University of Portland, where she scored 12 goals and 10 assists, Evans moved closer to home in Lakewood, CO, for her last two years of college, where she tallied a total of 16 goals and nine assists.

She currently holds school records for shots per game and shots on goal per game. Her points-per-game and goals-per-game averages were also second-best in school history and her assists average was fourth. Her totals of 41 points and 16 goals both rank eighth all-time. Through four years of college, Evans totaled 28 goals, 19 assists and 75 points in 81 matches with 80 starts.

“I feel like I can bring a good work ethic. I like to think I’m good at finishing and scoring, so I hope I can bring some goals to the team this year,” Evans said.

One unique tidbit about Evans’ game is that she’s able to do “flip throws,” where she will do a complete frontflip to get momentum in throwing the ball in.

“I definitely hope I’ll be able to do it at the new Orlando stadium,” Evans said. “My whole life I’ve been doing gymnastics and I quit in high school when I committed to college and so, it’s just something I’ve done my whole life, throughout club. I never really got to do it at the University of Portland, but when I transferred to the University of Colorado it was definitely one of our strengths.”

Check out Evans with the flip throw in the video below.

Orlando has one more pick coming today, with No. 32 overall, in the fourth round, coming up soon.