2024 NWSL Draft: Orlando Pride Select UCLA Midfielder Ally Lemos at No. 9

With their first selection in the 2024 NWSL Draft, the Orlando Pride selected teenage midfielder Ally Lemos out of UCLA. Lemos, 19, entered the draft after her sophomore season after earning first-team All-Pac-12 and All-Pacific Region honors for the Bruins.

A native of Glendora, CA, Lemos started every game in her UCLA career, including all 19 of UCLA’s games in 2023, leading all UCLA field players in minutes (1,596). She scored two goals and added two assists last season from the central midfield. She placed 11 of her 23 shot attempts on target (48%).

During her freshman year, Lemos started all 25 of UCLA’s matches, playing 1,966 minutes, scoring once, and adding nine assists. Her nine assists led the Bruins and tied for the Pac-12 lead. Lemos was one of just two Bruins, and the only field player, to start all 25 games. She put 12 of her 25 shots on target (48%). She was named to the 2022 College Cup All-Tournament Team, was a second-team All-Pacific Region player, and earned third-team All-Pac-12 honors. A member of the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team, Lemos was named to the Top Drawer Soccer Freshman Best XI first team.

She has also been part of the USWNT youth setup, getting selected for U.S. national team training camps from U-14 through U-20. Lemos was on the U-20 USWNT at the 2023 Concacaf Championships.

Lemos is the third first-round pick the Pride have taken from UCLA — all within the last four drafts — joining Viviana Villacorta (2021) and Mia Fishel (2022). Villacorta will be Lemos’ teammate in 2024 barring anything unforeseen, while Fishel never signed with the Pride.

What It Means for Orlando

The Pride have been bulking up the central midfield since the off-season began, adding Brazilians Angelina and Luana, as well as U.S. international Morgan Gautraut. The building of that midfield continues with the addition of Lemos, who can learn from the veteran players and grow into her role within the team.

Orlando’s problem has been keeping the ball and Haley Carter’s signings — and this draft pick — have been an apparent attempt to build a deep core of players who can help the Pride hang onto possession and connect the team’s lines as the ball transitions from the back to attackers in the front like Adriana and Messiah Bright. Lemos can learn from veteran players and won’t be rushed to claim a starting spot, although she may have the talent to take one anyway.

Lemos may be tasked with helping the United States in the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, which takes place in August and September.

While one never knows how a draft pick will turn out, this seems like a solid pick for Orlando.

Here’s a look at what she can do from a video posted a year ago: