Cori Dyke Drafted No. 22 Overall By Orlando Pride In 2024 NWSL Draft
Penn State women’s soccer powerhouse Cori Dyke is heading to the pros after closing out her fifth collegiate year in Happy Valley.
Dyke was selected by the Orlando Pride as the No. 22 overall pick in the second round of the NWSL Draft Friday night. Dyke’s selection is a program-record fourth single-draft pick from Penn State. The Nittany Lions’ previous single-draft selection record was three in 2016.
She’ll join former teammate Kerry Abello in Orlando.
Dyke ranks No. 1 in minutes, starts, and games played for Penn State women’s soccer with 9,069, 108, and 108, respectively. She started in every match she played and recorded nine goals and nine assists through five years at Jeffrey Field.
Additionally, the Littleton, Colorado, native has rostered with U.S. Youth National Teams at nearly every level, including U-14, U-16, U-17, U-18, U-19, U-20, and U-23.
Dyke was named the Big Ten Defender of the Year after shifting from center midfield to center back for her final year of eligibility in 2023. She collected United Soccer Coaches second-team All-American status, United Soccer Coaches All-North Region first-team honors, Scholar All-America accolades, and more. Dyke closed the campaign as the No. 8 female college footballer in the United States, according to TopDrawerSoccer.
During her senior season in 2022, Dyke registered her first career goal in September and helped the Nittany Lions clinch a Big Ten Tournament championship. Over the next two seasons, Dyke scored an additional eight goals.
“I’m not sure we’ve had a more process-driven, consistent, intentional student-athlete in our 17 years with Penn State women’s soccer than Cori Dyke,” head coach Erica Dambach wrote on Twitter in December.
The midfielder was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team in 2019, TopDrawerSoccer Freshman Best XI first team, and participated in Penn State’s 2019 Big Ten Tournament championship victory run.
Orlando finished the 2023 season seventh in the league with a 10-1-11 record. Brazilian legend Marta headlines the Pride’s roster.
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