PHILADELPHIA WINGS SELECT BRENNAN O’NEILL FIRST OVERALL IN NLL ENTRY DRAFT
Former Duke and U.S. Men’s National Team Standout Among Eight-Member Draft Class
PHILADELPHIA (September 16, 2024) – Last night, the Philadelphia Wings invested in their future and made a bit of history at the 2024 NLL Draft Presented by Castore. The Wings made 8 picks in total and with the first overall pick of the night, the organization selected Brennan O’Neill from Duke University.
“Brennan is a rare talent that we’re excited to add to our group. As a player, he has all the tools you look for, and as we talked to some of his teammates, coaches, and folks that have been a part of his journey, we became just as enthusiastic about the person, said Wings General Manager Paul Day. “His approach, attitude, and work ethic give us tremendous confidence that he will be a student of the game which should lead him to a long, successful career”.
“It’s an honor and a privilege to have the opportunity to represent this organization,” said O’Neill. “My first NLL game I attended was a Wings game, so this team holds a very special place in my heart. I’m looking forward to the season coming up and can’t wait to get to work with the rest of the team”
O’Neill is now the first American to be selected first overall since 1998 when Rochester selected Casey Powell. He also became just the fourth player ever to be drafted first overall in both the professional indoor and outdoor league drafts. The previous instances were former Wings star Kevin Crowley, Lyle Thompson, and Jeff Teat.
Powell went on to have a hall of fame career and Crowley, Thompson, and Teat may potentially follow, but while the Wings have high hopes for O’Neill, Day made clear there are zero expectations for the reigning MVP of the 2023 World Lacrosse Championships, or any of the Wings’ 2024 selections, this early in their careers.
“We feel good about the veteran leadership and talent at the top of our units, so the expectation for him and this entire draft class is to come in, work hard, and just get better every day,” said Day. “We don’t expect anyone to be a number one option out of the gate, and we’ll see how things develop over time. We’re looking forward to camp and seeing this group compete.”
Originally from Bay Shore, NY, O’Neill has become one of the most dynamic and accomplished players in lacrosse history at just 22 years old thanks to a resume that includes multiple world championships, NCAA records, and a number of prestigious awards and accolades. In 2023, he led the U.S. men’s senior team to victory at the World Championships as the youngest and only collegiate player on the roster. He scored five unassisted goals in the final to beat rival Canada 10-7 and earned tournament MVP honors. In 2022, he led the U.S. U-21 team to victory at the World Championships with 18 goals and 25 points, leading both categories.
In 2023, O’Neill was recognized with both the prestigious Tewaaraton Award, which is awarded annually to the nation’s most outstanding individual men’s and women’s NCAA lacrosse players, and the Lt. Raymond Enners Award, recognizing the top NCAA men’s lacrosse player. O’Neill currently ranks 5th in NCAA history for career goals and 3rd in Duke history for both career goals and career points. Over four seasons at Duke, he compiled 207 goals, 100 assists, and 307 points. Prior to his NCAA career, O’Neill was a four-year letterwinner at St. Anthony’s on Long Island, where as a junior he was named USA Lacrosse Magazine’s 2019 National Player of the Year. Named the No. 1 recruit from the class of 2020 by Inside Lacrosse, O’Neill was recruited by major college programs as early as eighth grade before ultimately committing to Duke.
“It has been a privilege to watch Brennan grow on both the world and NCAA stage non-stop over the past few years,” said legendary Duke University and U.S. Men’s National Team Head Coach John Danowski. “He is the penultimate team player, on the field and off, and I couldn’t be more excited to cheer him on in Philadelphia, a city with such a rich history of great American lacrosse players.”
“Objectively as a lacrosse fan, Brennan’s rise has been nothing short of spectacular and a joy to watch,” said Day. “We are thrilled to have him in a Wings uniform and look forward to cultivating his talent in the context of box lacrosse.”
In total, the Wings made eight selections in this year’s draft, having acquired the 85thoverall pick via Buffalo during the draft. Two members of the Wings’ 2024 draft class, transition player Steve Dellemonache (75th overall) and goalie Matthew Kuhn (85thoverall), were both recent standouts in the inaugural season of the Greater Philadelphia College Box Lacrosse League.
See below for a complete list of the Wing’s selections from this year’s draft:
1st Overall: Brennan O’Neill (Forward, Duke University)
29th Overall: Christopher Harland (Defense, Toronto Beaches Jr. A)
46th Overall: Shane Knobloch (Forward, Rutgers University)
53rd Overall: Zayden Blake (Defense, Edmonton Miners Jr. A)
60th Overall: Nathan Fehr (Defense, Brock University)
75th Overall: Steve Dellemonache (Transition, Robert Morris University)
81st Overall: Solomon Hess (Defense, Vassar University)
85th Overall: Matthew Kuhn (Goalie, Saskatchewan SWAT Jr. B)
