Since her arrival at the North Carolina Courage, Carson Pickett has been a force to be reckoned with. Having started in all 17 of the Courage’s games so far this season, Pickett is a vital part of the team’s roster.
Pickett arrived in Courage Country after the club made a trade with the Orlando Pride. At Orlando, Pickett made 39 appearances since her debut for the Pride in 2018. Prior to that, she made 36 appearances for Seattle Reign FC while also accumulating 35 appearances with Brisbane Roar during multiple seasons in the W-League.
While transferring to a new club can always be a difficult task, Pickett has settled into the Courage backline nicely. Across the 17 league games played so far, she and her teammates have only allowed nine goals. That is the fewest in the league this season.
North Carolina have also kept the most clean sheets (11), which is a testament to the team’s defensive unity and overall squad depth.
“I feel like at any moment, anyone on this team can be a starter,” said Pickett in an interview with CBS Sports. “I think that just says a lot about this club, they’re bringing in top quality to be able to train, non-starters and starters.”
Apart from her defensive contributions, Pickett is also influential with the Courage’s attack. She currently leads the league in assists with five.
The recognition has appropriately followed. Pickett has been in the NWSL Team of the Month twice. She even won Save of the Week during the 2021 Challenge Cup, which operated as a preseason competition in its second incarnation.
With the Courage now in a prime playoff position, Pickett will no doubt play a key role in the team’s end-of-season trajectory.
