Ole Miss Soccer Player Drafted by NWSL’s Chicago Red Stars

An Ole Miss Rebel heard her name called during the National Women’s Soccer League College Draft for the second time in three years, with senior Channing Foster being selected as the 32^nd overall pick by the Chicago Red Stars.

Foster joins former teammate CeCe Kizer as a recent NWSL draftee after Kizer was drafted 13th overall by the Houston Dash in the 2019 draft. Kizer helped guide the Dash to the NWSL Challenge Cup this past season before being traded to expansion club Racing Louisville FC.

Despite the opportunity to enter the professional ranks, Foster intends to return to Ole Miss for a fifth season of eligibility in the fall of 2021 and will suit up for the Rebels for the upcoming spring season.

“I want to thank the Chicago Red Stars for drafting me and giving me an incredible opportunity,” said Foster. “I’ve dreamt of becoming a professional soccer player since I was a little girl, and I cannot wait to get started. With that being said, I have chosen to stay at Ole Miss through the 2021 fall season to pursue my MBA and exhaust my remaining eligibility before heading to the NWSL in 2022.

“I want to thank the entire Ole Miss coaching staff as well as my teammates for helping me to grow and develop as a player, but even more importantly as a person,” said Foster. “Being at Ole Miss has been such a blessing, Rebel Nation is second to none. I’m excited to get another year in a Rebel uniform, we have some unfinished business! See you soon Chicago!”

With the opportunity to continue to build on her goal tally, Foster has already established herself as one of the most prolific scorers in program history. One of just two Rebels to be named All-SEC four times in a career, the Murray, Kentucky, native ranks sixth all-time in school history with 33 goals. Foster paced Ole Miss with three goals in the fall season en route to her second-consecutive First Team All-SEC nod.

“I am extremely proud of Channing getting drafted by the Chicago Red Stars of the NWSL,” said Ole Miss head coach Matt Mott. “Her dedication, hard work and approach to the game have made her into an elite level soccer player. I am so happy she has decided to stay at Ole Miss and play her final season with us before turning pro. It is a testament to her commitment to our program and the love she has for her teammates and this great university. I have the utmost respect for Coach Danes and the Red Stars Organization, they are getting a great one.”

Foster is a familiar face to the Red Stars organization, having played for the club’s Women’s Premier Soccer League affiliate, helping lead the Chicago Red Stars Reserves to a WPSL Central Region Championship. The Reds Stars have also been on the wrong end of the senior’s lethal left foot, with Foster scoring a stoppage-time winner for the U-23 USWNT over Chicago in the 2019 Thorns Spring Invitational.

Staff Report