Fishel, Canales Selected in 2022 NWSL Draft

UCLA women's soccer players Mia Fishel and Marley Canales were selected in the 2022 NWSL Draft on Saturday. Forward Mia Fishel was chosen as the No. 5 overall selection by the Orlando Pride, while midfielder Marley Canales was chosen in the fourth round at No. 47 overall by OL Reign. Fishel becomes the eighth Top 10 selection from UCLA in the last seven NWSL drafts.

Fishel will be reunited with former UCLA head coach Amanda Cromwell, who was recently hired as Orlando's new head coach. The Pride also have two other UCLA alumna on the squad in 2021 first round selection Viviana Villacorta and 2015 World Cup champion Sydney Leroux. Fishel finished her three-year UCLA career with 32 goals, 16 game-winning goals, 14 assists and 78 points. She earned All-America and first-team All-Region honors in 2020 and 2021 and was a three-time All-Pac-12 honoree. Fishel led UCLA in scoring in 2019 (14 goals, 31 points) and 2021 (12 goals, 29 points).

Canales' selection gave UCLA multiple draft picks for the third consecutive year. A two-year team captain for the Bruins, she earned All-Pac-12 honors in 2020 and 2021 and a United Soccer Coaches College Player of Distinction Award in 2020. She led Bruin field players in minutes played in 2021 (1,735), and in 2020, she tied for the team lead in assists in the shortened season with six. In her first season with the Bruins, she scored the winning penalty kick in a shootout to send the Bruins to the NCAA College Cup Final. Canales played in a total of 79 games for UCLA, scoring 11 goals with 15 assists.

With Fishel and Canales drafted, UCLA now has 20 total NWSL draft picks since the league's inception in 2013. Fishel is the ninth Bruin to be drafted in the first round.