Ten Canadians but no Kadeisha Buchanan on preliminary NWSL draft list

TORONTO – Ten Canadians including Olympic alternate Kailen Sheridan feature on the preliminary list of 148 players available in next week’s NWSL draft.

But star defender Kadeisha Buchanan was not on Wednesday’s list, adding to the growing belief that the West Virginia stalwart is on the verge of joining Canadian international teammate Ashley Lawrence in Europe. Lawrence signed with Paris Saint-Germain this week amidst signs that Buchanan was headed to Olympique Lyonnais. The two have played together since they were nine years old in Brampton, Ont.

Players can register until the day before the Jan. 12 draft in Los Angeles. The preliminary list includes players from Canada, the U.S., Brazil, Belgium, England, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Norway.

Sheridan, a native of Whitby, Ont., who played at Clemson University, was one of four alternates named in addition to the 18-woman Canadian Olympic team that went on to win bronze in Brazil.

The other Canadians on the preliminary NWSL draft list are Brittany Ambrose (Santa Clara University, Vancouver), Stephanie Bukovec (Belmont University, Toronto), Summer Clarke (LSU, Richmond, B.C.), Emma Fletcher (Cal-Berkeley, Victoria), Jenna Hellstrom (Kent State, Sudbury, Ont.), Brittney Lawrence (Oral Roberts, Ajax, Ont.), Tyler-Rae Molloy (Mobile, St. Alberta, Alta.), Hope Sabadash (Southeastern Louisiana, Mississauga, Ont.) and Valerie Sanderson (Memphis, Deux-Montagnes, Que.).

Sheridan and Fletcher were members of Canada’s team at the 2015 Pan American Games.

The Boston Breakers have the first and third picks in the draft, with the Western New York Flash selecting second.

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