Elk Grove's Naughton at home with Chicago Red Stars
To find out she would be coming back home to Chicago, Katie Naughton traveled all the way to Baltimore.
Naughton and her mom Claire thought it would be the adventure of a lifetime.
"It's not every day that a person has the opportunity to be in a professional sports draft," Naughton said. "I wanted to make the most of the opportunity."
Naughton, a standout defender for the Notre Dame women's soccer team the last four years and a high school star at Elk Grove before that, was hoping to get selected in the National Women's Soccer League draft in January.
The event was held at a huge convention center in Baltimore, and Naughton and her mom made a trip of it, along with some sightseeing.
"I really had no idea if I would get picked or where I would get picked, what round," Naughton said. "I had some teams call me and tell me that they were interested, but I didn't know much more than that.
"I was just hoping I'd get picked somewhere."
Turns out, Naughton got picked somewhere special. By her hometown team, the same team that she watched when she was in grade school, dreaming big dreams about her soccer future.
The Chicago Red Stars, which didn't have a first-round pick, made Naughton the ninth pick of the second round of the 2016 NWSL Draft, and the 19th pick overall.
Naughton and the Red Stars will open the 2016 season today in Houston against the Dash. The following Saturday, April 23, the Red Stars will play their home opener at Toyota Park in Bridgeview against the Western New York Flash.
"I was so excited to be picked up by Chicago," said Naughton, who says she gained her toughness by playing soccer on local Elk Grove boys teams in grade school. "I'm able to live at home, which is something I haven't done in four years since I was at college. I've got my friends and family and my support system.
"When my name was announced (at the draft), it was just joy and jubilation. I went to Red Stars games when I was younger. It's funny how things have come full circle and now I'm on the team."
The Red Stars finished second in league play last season and hosted their first NWSL playoff game in franchise history. Many of the key components from that team, including U.S. national team players Christen Press and Julie Johnston, return. And the Red Stars have since added national team goalie Alyssa Naeher.
"It's an honor to play with just one national team player, but we have three," said Naughton, who has impressive credentials of her own as a four-year starter at Notre Dame, a national power. "I'm just really excited to learn from all three of those players and the rest of my teammates. I think we will be a very good team this season.
"I'm not sure how much playing time I'll get and I'm OK with that. I'm just trying to soak in everything I can about our team and this league, and I'll accept any role the coaches have for me."
In the meantime, Naughton is thrilled to play the role of "at-home" daughter again.
She lives with her mom and grandma and is loving eating home-cooked meals and sleeping in her old bed.
"It's been so nice to be at home again," Naughton said. "It's a great situation for me and I'm going to ride this for as long as I can."
• Follow Patricia on Twitter @babcockmcgraw, and contact her by email at pbabcock@dailyherald.com.
Red Stars schedule
The Chicago Red Stars will play home games at Toyota Park in Bridgeview. For tickets, call (773) 697-8699 or visit chicagoredstars.com.
<b>2016 schedule</b>Date: Opponent, Time
April 16: at Houston Dash, TBA
April 23: vs. Western N.Y., 6 p.m.
May 1: vs. Orlando Pride, 5 p.m.
May 7: at Boston Breakers, TBA
May 13: at FC Kansas City, TBA
May 22: at Seattle Reign, TBA
May 29: vs. Sky Blue, 6 p.m.
June 12: vs. Portland Thorns, 5 p.m.
June 18: Boston Breakers, 7 p.m.
June 22: at Portland Thorns, TBA
July 1: at Western New York, TBA
July 9: at Washington Spirit, TBA
July 16: at Orlando Pride, TBA
July 23: Houston Dash, 7 p.m.
July 30: FC Kansas City, 7 p.m.
Off: NWSL breaks for the Olympics in most of August
Aug. 27: at Sky Blue FC, TBA
Sept. 4: Seattle Reign FC, 6 p.m.
Sept. 7: FC Kansas City, 6 p.m.
Sept. 11: at FC Kansas City, TBA
Sept. 24: Washington Spirit, 7 p.m.