By Official Florida FC

Florida State defender Emily Madril was one of four people with Florida ties selected during Thursday’s NWSL Draft.

Emily Madril was a three-year starter at Florida State and helped the Seminoles win the 2021 national championship. | Photo by Will Brown, Official Florida FC

The Orlando Pride selected the Navarre High School and Florida State alumnae with the third overall pick in the 2023 NWSL Draft. Madril helped the Seminoles win the 2021 national championship and advance to the 2022 national semifinals.

Madril will be a welcomed addition in Orlando. The Pride conceded 45 times in 22 matches last year, the second-worst in the NWSL in 2022.

Orlando also selected Orlando native, and former UCF forward, Kristen Scott in the fourth round of the draft. Scott, 22, was the 2022 American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year after leading the Knights with nine goals and five assists in 869 minutes.

“We’re really pleased. Obviously we got some very exciting players, players that cover a lot of positions of need as well. Overall, we’re really excited and really pleased with the picks that we have,” Orlando Pride head Coach Seb Hines told the team’s website. “[We gained] variety. We highlighted key players in key positions and you look at the picks that we got, they can come in and make an immediate impact to the team. I spoke about having a competitive environment in our training and I think we have that in our draft picks.”

Florida State forward Jenna Nighswonger looks for a teammate upfield during the first half of an Aug. 22, 2021 win over Alabama.

Madril was one of three Seminoles drafted in the first round Thursday night. The NJ/NY Gotham selected Florida State forward Jenna Nighswonger with the No. 4 overall pick and the North Carolina Courage picked Seminoles midfielder Clara Robbins with the No. 9 overall selection.