Gotham FC rookies get first taste of NWSL with hand-picked club

Gotham FC midfielder Sofia Cook was in a similar position last fall that Connecticut star guard Paige Bueckers finds herself in.

Cook had another year of NCAA eligibility remaining.

But after weighing her options, the former UCLA soccer star felt like she was in a good position to take her talents to the next level.

It helps, too, that unlike Bueckers — who’s projected to be drafted No. 1 overall in the WNBA draft by the Dallas Wings — Cook had a say in where she’d start her professional career.

So, after the Bruins’ season came to an end in the second round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament, Cook called up her agent and met with several teams.

Ultimately, though, Cook found that Gotham FC was the place she wanted to start her professional career. And by the end of January, she signed a two-year deal with the club.

“It was definitely for me the style of the play about the team,” Cook said Wednesday. “I play my best when I fit the style of play, so watching Gotham, I definitely wanted to play here. And then it just worked out.”

A new collective bargaining agreement, adopted last August, made the NWSL the first North American professional sports league to eliminate its college draft.

The change gives more power back to players to ensure they have a say in their future.

For Gotham defender Lilly Reale, being a part of the first rookie class to forgo a draft is not something lost on her.

“It’s very special,” Reale said. “When you’re going into the draft, it kind of is just up to odds a little bit. So having teammates who have done or gone into the draft in the past, it can be really exciting but it can also be a little bit overwhelming because there isn’t that autonomy there.

“Obviously, it’s a privilege to be in this league no matter where you go. but I think it is really special when you have a little bit more control over your future.”

Reale, who played four seasons at UCLA, trained with Gotham and Angel City FC last summer, which gave her a peek into what her future might look like.

While she said she had positive experiences with both clubs, the intensity of Gotham’s practices and the level of talent around the team was part of what lured her to sign here. She also appreciated the club’s dedication to developing talent and supporting players who are called up to their respective national teams.

“Even being here just two or three weeks has really improved my game and made me a better person and player,” Reale said. Last summer, Gotham was “giving me feedback in training, making adjustments, stuff like that, just little tips here and there, and it just showed me that they really pay attention and really care about their craft as coaches and just as people, so yeah, I think that’s really what drew me in.”

Reale and Cook are settling into their new lives as professional soccer players.

They’re grateful to have each other — as well as former UCLA goalkeeper Ryan Campbell — to lean on throughout this transition.

“Having former teammates definitely helps make the difference going in and feeling a little bit more comfortable to be yourself and to show who you are.” Reale said. “[Having] someone who will just back you up no matter what is awesome.”

Gotham’s preseason trip to Marbella, Spain, has also made it easier for the rookies to get comfortable with their new teammates.

“I feel … so welcomed,” Cook said. “And [the veterans] being so willing to help … it gives me the confidence that I know what I’m doing and just being able to play.”

Gotham FC beat Norwegian club SK Brann 2-1 in its first closed-door friendly match last week, with Esther Gonzalez and Makenna Whitham each scoring goals.

Gotham will play its second closed-door friendly match against FC Nordsjælland on Friday.