Top 10 Moments of 2023: Orlando Pride Draft Emily Madril and Messiah Bright

As we count down to the new year of 2024 — which will be Orlando City’s 10th in MLS and the Orlando Pride’s ninth in the NWSL — and say goodbye to 2023, it’s time to look back at the club’s 10 best moments of the year as selected by The Mane Land staff via vote.

The Orlando Pride needed to get the 2023 NWSL Draft right. The club had struggled through another dismal season in 2022, firing new coach Amanda Cromwell after just seven matches due to off-the-field issues. Seb Hines had taken over and did an admirable job given the circumstances — doing enough, in fact, to earn the full-time job over the off-season.

But the Pride had a lot of holes to fill and a good number of selections in the draft. It was critical to get some useful players out of the draft and the Pride did exactly that.

The day started on the right foot, as Orlando selected former Florida State defender Emily Madril with the No. 3 overall selection in the 2023 NWSL Draft. Madril seemed like a can’t-miss prospect, and her first season in Orlando showed that she was exactly that. Madril barely came off the pitch in 2023, starting all 22 of the club’s regular-season matches and playing all but three of the available minutes as she came tantalizingly close to finishing with iron woman status. In fact, she only subbed off for the season’s final three minutes with her team chasing a game-winning goal.

Madril anchored a surprisingly sturdy 2023 Pride back line, with the team keeping seven clean sheets over the course of the regular season and conceded 17 fewer goals than last season.

The defender did not record a goal or an assist on the season, attempting just one shot, which was off target. She completed 85.4% of her passes and created five scoring chances. However, she wasn’t drafted for her attacking prowess. Defensively, she logged 19 blocks and 19 interceptions, won 17 of her 28 tackles (60.7%), and was successful on 76 of her 122 duels (62.3%). She also won 54.5% of her 33 aerial duels. She won 23 fouls while conceding only nine and was booked twice during the regular season.

In the NWSL Challenge Cup, Madril appeared in five of the team’s six matches (all starts), and played 450 minutes. She did not score a goal or assist on one and did not attempt a shot. She completed 86.2% of her passes, recording one key pass She recorded 10 blocks and four interceptions on defense, winning 55.6% of her tackle attempts, 68.1% of her duels, and 71.4% of her aerial duels. She committed five fouls, drawing six on the opposition, and was not booked in the tournament.

Whether she was playing center back, or befuddling attackers in a few appearances at fullback, Madril was as good as advertised in her first year and could become one of the club’s cornerstones for years to come. For her first year in the league, The Mane Land staff awarded Madril a composite rating of 6.5 out of 10, which was one of the highest scores on the club.

The Pride were far from done when they selected Madril. Little did Orlando fans know it at the time, but the club also drafted their co-leading goal scorer that day. In the second round, with the No. 21 overall selection, the Pride picked forward Messiah Bright out of TCU. This was a player many expected to go higher and the Pride took full advantage of her availability.

Bright had an inconsistent rookie season — not terribly surprising for a first-year attacking player — but she was electric when she was on her game and she gave the Pride a viable threat with her speed, power, and intelligent runs into space. She was, in short, the full package, finishing the year as a finalist for the NWSL Rookie of the Year Award.

Bright appeared in all 22 of the Pride’s regular-season matches, starting 16 and logging a total of 1,379 minutes. She scored a team-high six goals (tied with Adriana) on 41 shots with 12 on target and 10 blocked. She did not have an assist, but she made seven key passes. Bright completed 67.4% of her 273 total passes (67.4%). Defensively, she made one interception and five blocks, won 14 of her 26 tackles (53.8%), won 99 of her 211 duels (46.6%), and won 38 of her 64 aerial duels (59.4%). She also committed 20 fouls, suffered six fouls, and was booked twice.

The 23-year-old made six appearances in NWSL Challenge Cup play, starting three games and playing 307 total minutes. She scored one goal on seven total shots with three on target. Bright did not register an assist but completed 66.7% of her 72 total passes and made nine key passes. Defensively, she won two of her four tackles (50%), 20 of her 45 duels (44.4%), and eight of her 14 aerial duels (57.1%). She also committed four fouls, suffered one foul, and was not booked in the tournament.

The Mane Land staff gave Bright a composite rating of 6 out of 10 for her rookie campaign. Like Madril, she showed she could become a key piece of the Pride’s starting lineup for years to come. With a little more development of her game and more consistency, she could become one of the NWSL’s top strikers.

If the Pride had only selected Madril and Bright in 2023 it would have been a successful draft. However, Orlando wasn’t done there. The Pride ended up selecting defender Tori Hansen at No. 25 overall, midfielder Summer Yates at No. 39, and midfielder/forward Kristen Scott at No. 41. While Scott did not earn a contract, Yates was a depth midfielder throughout the 2023 season and Hansen added depth to the back line. While neither had the impact of Madril and Bright, the two could develop into players for the future.

Regardless, the additions of two key pieces of a team that unexpectedly competed for a postseason spot through the season’s last day is worthy of being included in our countdown of the club’s best moments of the year. We look forward to seeing what these two players do for an encore in 2024.

Come back through New Year’s Eve as we count down the remainder of Orlando City’s top 10 moments of 2023.