While most Mississippi State University students attended their first Friday morning classes of the spring semester, senior Elisabeth Sullivan sat at home with her parents eagerly watching the live feed of the 2014 National Women’s Soccer League draft. But after two-and-a-half hours went by, Sullivan thought her chances of playing professional soccer were over.
 “I had accepted it wasn’t going to happen, and then I got a text from my coach (Aaron Gordon), and all it said was ‘Bam,’” Sullivan said. “I ran over to my computer and saw my name and started freaking out. My dad had gone to change for work, and my mom was on the phone, so I started freaking out and yelling and screaming, and my mom came over and did the same thing. We went and told my dad, and he didn’t believe us until we showed him the computer.”
After a late trade, the Portland Thorns selected Sullivan with the 31st pick in the draft, making her the first MSU player ever drafted to the NWSL. With just four rounds in the draft and nine picks per round, only 36 players were selected out of over 180 who declared for the draft. Sullivan was one of only two SEC players selected.
Gordon said he and the MSU coaching staff did not know if the draft was even going to be a possibility, but after the great senior season she had this fall, teams started mentioning her in their conversations.
“You always want to be in the discussion. Getting the opportunity to even be mentioned was really good, then to be drafted says a lot in terms of what these coaches were looking for,” Gordon said. “What this means in terms of our program is it shows any potential player who comes to Mississippi State that going to the next level is a possibility because we play in a great conference and have a great school; what we do as a program is individuals have potential to grow and get better each year and then potential and possibility is there, and that’s what happened with Elisabeth.”
Sullivan continued to break MSU records this year, writing her name atop the single-season goals record with 16, finishing with 39 goals and 92 points for her career — both tops in the record books. She was also named second-team All-SEC her final two seasons for the Maroon and White.
Gordon said her goal-scoring ability is what will carry her in the pro world.
“She has unique qualities in terms of being a goal scorer in the way that she scores goals, and her ability to beat players one-on-one makes her an attacking threat all the time. She’s not dependent on others to give her the ball; she can create on her own,” he said.
Sullivan will take these abilities to the defending champion of the NWSL and join forces with Alex Morgan — the current face of women’s professional soccer. Thorns’ head coach Paul Riley told The Oregonian that Sullivan is a diamond in the rough.
“We kept an eye on her all season. She wasn’t on anybody’s list, but I think she’s going to be a sleeper. I think she’s maybe the third or fourth best forward coming out of the draft,” Riley said.
According to The Oregonian, Sullivan is expected to play “significant minutes” this season, especially when Morgan and Canadian Christine Sinclair leave to play with their respective national teams.
Thorns’ training camp begins March 10, which means Sullivan, an elementary education major, will take a semester off and student teach this fall after the season ends.
Although the Sullivan household was filled with excitement all weekend, Marcia Sullivan, Elisabeth’s mom, said she realized her daughter is going about the farthest she can in the country from her Memphis home.
“I know that she feels like she has been led by the Lord, and I know that’s where she gets her strength, so I think she’ll be fine,” Marcia said. “I think God has led her to this, and he’s not going to drop her now.”
A soccer career that started when she was four years old has surpassed the wildest dreams of the newest Portland Thorn. From Memphis to Starkville and now to Portland, Sullivan said the constant support and encouragement from her family, friends, coaches and teammates has carried her the whole time.
“I love soccer, and I think this is a great opportunity that I can’t pass up,” she said. “God has blessed me with the skills and talent, and since he’s given that to me and continued to bless me with that at Mississippi State, I feel like I need to continue with these talents and play for him with the Portland Thorns.”