| Founded | January 27, 2022 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Stadium | WakeMed Soccer Park Cary, North Carolina, United States | ||
| Head coach | Willie Davis | ||
| League | USL W League | ||
| 2024 |
| ||
North Carolina Courage U23, also known as North Carolina Courage USL W, is an amateur women's soccer team that plays in the USL W League. It is affiliated and shares ownership with the professional team North Carolina Courage, which competes in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).
In January 2022, NWSL club North Carolina Courage added an amateur team to compete in the newly formed W League, [1] becoming the second NWSL club to do so after Racing Louisville FC earlier that month. [2]
In the 2023 USL W League season, the Courage U23s went undefeated with an 11–0–1 record to win the South Atlantic division, then defeated FC Miami City and Tampa Bay United in consecutive 3–0 victories to win the Southern Conference championship and advance to the national championship semifinals. [3] After defeating Eagle FC 4–1, the Courage U23s advanced to the national finals for the first time in club history, facing Indy Eleven, where they lost 2–1 in overtime. [4] [5] Former USWNT player Heather O'Reilly joined the team as a player and coach that season. [6] [7]
North Carolina Courage plays its W League matches at Field Two at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina. [8]
| Pos. | Name | Team |
|---|---|---|
| GK | MK Daly | Dartmouth |
| GK | Emily Edwards | Purdue |
| DF | Aven Alvarez | North Carolina |
| DF | Bella Ayscue | Penn State |
| DF | Amber Brooks | (Washington Spirit) |
| DF | Taylor Chism | NC State |
| DF | Kayleigh Herr | Penn State |
| DF | Brooklyn Holt | NC State |
| MF | Gabby Ciocca | Virginia Tech |
| MF | Braelynn Francher | UNC Charlotte |
| MF | Baylor Goldthwaite | Wake Forest |
| MF | Phoebe Goldthwaite | Duke |
| MF | Lauren Martinho | Duke |
| MF | Cazzi Norgren | Missouri State |
| MF | Bella Sember | North Carolina |
| FW | Macey Bader | UNC Charlotte |
| FW | Ivy Gardner | Liberty |
| FW | Mackenzie Geigle | Louisville |
| FW | Hannah Jibril | NC State |
| FW | Mia Oliaro | Duke |
| FW | Lexi Strickland | NC State |
| FW | Alyssa Tucker | Campbell |
Willie Davis| Season | League | Division | Regular season | Playoffs | Top goalscorer | Ref. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts. | Pos. | ||||||
| USL W | South Atlantic | 12 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 24 | 14 | +10 | 22 | 2nd | Did not qualify | Emily Sapienza (5) | [9] | |
| South Atlantic | 12 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 46 | 7 | +39 | 34 | 1st | Finals | [10] | |||
Curt Johnson is an American soccer executive who currently serves as General Manager and President of North Carolina Football Club, home of North Carolina FC of the USL Championship and the North Carolina Courage of the National Women’s Soccer League.
Heather Ann O'Reilly is an American professional women's soccer player who plays as a midfielder. She played for the United States women's national soccer team (USWNT), with whom she won three Olympic gold medals and a FIFA Women's World Cup. From 2003 to 2006, she played college soccer for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH). During her club career, O'Reilly played for the New Jersey Wildcats, Sky Blue FC (WPS), Boston Breakers, FC Kansas City (NWSL), Arsenal Ladies, North Carolina Courage (NWSL), and Shelbourne (WNL).
Jessica Marie McDonald is a retired American professional soccer player, and former player for the United States women's national soccer team. She previously played for the Australian W-League teams Melbourne Victory and Western United as well as the Western New York Flash, Chicago Red Stars, Seattle Reign FC, Portland Thorns FC, Houston Dash, North Carolina Courage, and Racing Louisville FC. McDonald became a World Cup champion in 2019, with the United States team that won the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup.
The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) is a professional women's soccer league at the top of the United States league system. Headquartered in New York City, it is owned by the teams and, until 2020, was under a management contract with the United States Soccer Federation.
Indy Eleven is an American professional soccer team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. Founded in 2013, the team made its debut in the North American Soccer League (NASL) in 2014, before moving to the United Soccer League (USL) in 2018. The franchise plays its home games at IU Michael A. Carroll Track & Soccer Stadium, with a new stadium in the city's downtown district under construction.
The expansion of the National Women's Soccer League began with the league's sophomore season in 2014, when the league expanded to a ninth team in Houston, and is an ongoing process that currently has seen five expansions, three direct or indirect relocations, and one contraction. The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) was established as the top level of professional women's soccer in the United States in 2013 in the wake of the defunct Women's United Soccer Association and Women's Professional Soccer.
Abigail Lynn Dahlkemper is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender for San Diego Wave FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and the United States national team.
Lynn Raenie Williams is an American professional soccer player who plays for NJ/NY Gotham FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and the United States national team. The NWSL's all-time leading scorer, she was drafted out of Pepperdine University by the Western New York Flash in 2015.
Kristen Marie Hamilton is an American professional soccer player who plays as a forward for Kansas City Current of the National Women's Soccer League.
Ashley Marie Hatch is an American professional soccer player who plays as a forward for Washington Spirit of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She has also played for the United States women's national soccer team.
Casey Grace Murphy is an American professional soccer goalkeeper for the North Carolina Courage of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and the United States national team. She played college soccer for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.
The North Carolina Courage is a professional women's soccer team based in Cary, North Carolina. It was founded on January 9, 2017, after Stephen Malik acquired National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) franchise rights from the Western New York Flash. The Courage plays its home games at the WakeMed Soccer Park.
Stephen Malik is a Welsh-American businessman and sports owner who owns and is chairman of North Carolina FC of United Soccer League and North Carolina Courage of National Women's Soccer League. He also founded and was executive chairman of medical technology company Medfusion, and was a member of the United States Soccer Federation board of directors from March 2017 to March 2019 and February 2020 to February 2021.
The 2018 North Carolina Courage season was the team's second season as a professional women's soccer team. North Carolina Courage played in the National Women's Soccer League, the top tier of women's soccer in the United States. On August 5, the Courage clinched the 2018 NWSL Shield for the second consecutive season after a 2–1 win over Portland. The Courage finished the 2018 regular season with only 1 loss and broke the record for most wins in a season (17), most points (57) and most goals (53).
Emily Ann Fox is an American professional soccer player who plays as a right-back for Women's Super League club Arsenal and the United States national team. She played college soccer for the North Carolina Tar Heels.
Jordan Elisabeth Baggett is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Racing Louisville FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Baggett played college soccer for the Stanford Cardinal.
The USL W League (USLW) is a pre-professional women's soccer league in the United States which began play in May 2022. It follows the USL W-League, a similar league that existed from 1995 to 2015.
The 2023 USL W League season is the 2nd season for the league. The regular season began on May 6 and ended on July 2. 16 teams qualified for the league playoffs, which began on July 6.
Racing Louisville FC is an amateur women's soccer team that plays in the USL W League. It is affiliated and shares ownership with the eponymous professional team Racing Louisville FC, which competes in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).
Hal Hershfelt is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for the Washington Spirit of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She played college soccer for the Clemson Tigers and was selected fifth overall by the Spirit in the 2024 NWSL Draft.
| Eastern Conference |
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| Central Conference |
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| Southern Conference |
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| Western Conference |
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