2018 NWSL draft: Washington Spirit select Duke midfielder/defender Rebecca Quinn

With the third overall pick in the 2018 NWSL draft, the Washington Spirit selected Duke midfielder/defender Rebecca Quinn. Quinn, 22, already has 33 caps for Canada at the international level, and has recently been a regular partner for Washington’s captain Shelina Zadorsky in central defense. Quinn was part of the 2016 bronze medal-winning Canada team at the Rio Olympics.

With the Blue Devils, Quinn had an accomplished career that was capped off by being named as a 2017 First Team All-American and was a semifinalist for the M.A.C. Hermann Trophy. She was also the ACC’s 2017 Midfielder of the Year. In 69 career appearances for Duke, she totaled 8 goals and 9 assists, mostly playing at the base of the Blue Devils midfield.

For Washington, Quinn projects as a potential starter at center back. With the Spirit selecting Andi Sullivan with the first overall pick and already having veteran Tori Huster in line to play defensive midfield, Quinn will likely bolster a back line that struggled to keep goals off the board in 2017. However, head coach Jim Gabarra will see value in Quinn’s ability to play multiple positions, and we could well see her spend some time in the midfield.