Orlando Pride Sign 2020 Draft Pick Abi Kim

The Orlando Pride announced today that the club has signed forward Abi Kim to a two-year contract with an option for an additional year. Kim, 22, was a third-round selection by the Pride (No. 26 overall) in the 2020 NWSL College Draft out of the University of California-Berkeley.

“We’re very pleased to welcome Abi back to Orlando,” Orlando Pride General Manager Ian Fleming said in a club press release. “We tracked her closely during her time in Italy and are excited about what she is going to bring to the Pride following her stint there. Abi has the quality to make a positive impact here in the immediate term, and we look forward to her continued development as a member of our club.”

The forward joined the Pride for the 2020 preseason, but an injury sidelined her early on in the year. In September, Kim signed with Italian Serie A side Fiorentina, where she appeared in seven matches across all competitions, scoring a goal in league play and another in the Italian Women’s Super Cup.

Kim started all 21 games in which she appeared during her senior season in 2019. The 5-foot-8, Vashon, WA native scored two goals and added six assists, putting 12 of her 28 shots on target. She started at least 16 matches in each of her four seasons in college, amassing 74 starts and 80 games played for a total of 5,692 minutes. She finished with 18 goals and 10 assists during her career at Cal.

She was a team captain with the Bears in her senior season and she earned Third Team All-Pac-12 honors in her final collegiate year. She was a Third Team All-Region and Third Team All-Pac-12 selection in 2018, a Second Team All-Pac-12 pick in 2017, and a Pac-12 All-Freshman Team selection in 2016. Kim was named to the U-20 U.S. Women’s National Team for the 2018 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup and has also represented the United States at the U-18 level. She scored six goals in 24 caps with the U-20 USWNT.

What it Means for Orlando

The thing that really jumps off the highlight video for Kim is her speed. She has the kind of speed that can overcome other shortcomings and being that she was selected in the latter stages of the third round, there are obviously holes in her game that must be addressed. If she can work on and improve those areas, she could be a fantastic pickup for the Pride. Marc Skinner could deploy Kim as a forward, a wing player, or a fullback.

Clearly the club was impressed with her stint at Fiorentina, as evidenced by giving her a multi-year deal. With this signing, the Pride now have inked six of their seven draft selections from 2020, as Kim joins Taylor Kornieck, Courtney Petersen, Konya Plummer, Phoebe McClernon, and Chelsee Washington on Orlando’s roster. Only defender Cheyenne Shorts is unsigned from last year’s draft class.

Here’s a look at what Kim can do: