Sky Blue’s Carli Lloyd was left unprotected for the NWSL expansion draft. (Photo courtesy of Sky Blue FC)

Sky Blue FC Thursday announced its protected and unprotected list for the Nov. 12 NWSL expansion rdaft.

U.S. women’s national team forward Carli Lloyd was left unprotected.

Age might have had something to do with it because Lloyd will turn 39 on July 16, 2001. Even though Lloyd has a name and still can be an impact player, she is ending near the end of her career and expansion teams usually prefer to build their squads around younger players who will be around for several years.

Teams are permitted to protect a total of 11 Players/U.S. Allocated Players, which may include up to two U.S. Allocated Players from the 2020 NWSL season. All remaining U.S. Allocated Players must be left Unprotected. Individuals on the Discovery List of any team are not eligible to be selected in the Expansion Draft.

Racing Louisville FC can select up to two players, or one U.S. Allocated Player, from each NWSL team, and a total of two U.S. Allocated Players in total from all teams. On October 26, 2020, Chicago sent forwards Yuki Nagasato and Savannah McCaskill to Louisville in exchange for full roster protection in the expansion draft and were not required to submit a protected list. For the full 2020 Expansion Draft process and procedures, click here .

Katherine Reynolds, Jaelene Daniels, Rebecca Tweed and Nadine Angerer have announced their retirement and their playing rights currently remain with their most recent NWSL club.

Racing Louisville’s selections will be revealed at the expansion draft Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. ET

SKY BLUE FC

Protected Players

Imani Dorsey

Nahomi Kawasumi (International)

Amanda McGlynn

Paige Monaghan

Ifeoma Onumonu

Mallory Pugh (US Allocated)

Margaret Purce

Kailen Sheridan (CAN Allocated)

Evelyne Viens (International)

Sarah Woldmoe

McCall Zerboni

Unprotected Players

Nicole Baxter

Melanie Booth (Playing Rights)

Jennifer Cudjoe (International)

Julie Doyle (Playing Rights)

Caprice Dydasco

Elizabeth Eddy

Sabrina Flores

Mandy Freeman

Christina Gibbons (Playing Rights)

Didi Haracic

Megan Hinz

Jennifer Hoy (Playing Rights)

Estelle Johnson

Gina Lewandowski

Carli Lloyd (US Allocated)

Jill Loyden (Playing Rights)

Manya Makoski (Playing Rights)

Dominique Richardson

Kaleigh Riehl

Erica Skroski

Chantelle Swaby (College Protected)

Madison Tiernan (Playing Rights)

Rebecca Tweed (Playing Rights)

Kenie Wright

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.