Orlando Pride Sign First-Round 2022 Draft Pick Julie Doyle

The Orlando Pride have signed 2022 NWSL Draft selection Julie Doyle to a one-year contract with a club option for an additional year in 2023. It’s the second signing of a draft pick in as many days after the club signed 2021 pick Mikayla Cluff yesterday.

Doyle was selected 11th overall in last month’s draft, the team’s third pick in the first round. The Pride had already selected Mia Fishel (No. 5 overall) and Caitlin Cosme (No. 10) prior to the selection of Doyle. However, the former Santa Clara University forward is the first to have signed a contract with the Pride from the most recent draft.

“We are very pleased to add Julie to the squad this year and excited to see how her qualities complement our existing group,” Pride General Manager Ian Fleming said in a club press release. “We were fortunate enough to have Julie train with us for a short period over the summer and what we saw first-hand, beyond what we already knew of her accomplishments in college and at the youth national team level, gave us the confidence to make her a priority target in the draft this year. We are glad that the opportunity did indeed present itself and look forward to seeing her in purple soon.”

Doyle spent four years with the Santa Clara Broncos, recording 16 goals and 14 assists in 70 games (55 starts). She put 46 of her 106 shots on goal (43.4%). Additionally, she put away all three penalties during her collegiate career, all of which came during her junior season.

During her senior season, the 23-year-old forward captained her school to its second national title in program history. That 2020 season saw Doyle named first-team All-West region, in addition to her three All-WCC selections in four years.

In addition to her collegiate career, the 5-foot-8 forward from Laguna Niguel, CA has been part of the U.S. Women’s National Team program since 2013, playing at the U-15, U-18, and U-20 levels. She’s taken part in 13 domestic national team camps, attended seven international camps, and was an alternate for the 2016 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup squad.

What It Means for Orlando

The signing of Doyle sees the Pride continue a rebuild that has resulted in several key starters from last year departing. The team traded away Alex Morgan, Jodie Taylor, and Taylor Kornieck this offseason, creating the need for more attackers. Additionally, 2022 first-round pick Fishel chose to sign with Tigres in Mexico over the Pride, making the signing of Doyle even more important.

The Pride’s remaining unsigned draftees from this year are Cosme — a defender out of Duke — and forward Jada Talley, who was selected in the third round (No. 31 overall).