Carson Pickett’s Journey to the USWNT
There are few players this season as important to their team as Carson Pickett is for the North Carolina Courage. She’s a talented outside back with a ton of experience. Let’s look at Carson Pickett’s journey and how she has ended up as a star player for the NC Courage and earned her first USWNT call-up.
College
Carson Pickett was a star coming out of high school, as the Florida native won the 2012 Gatorade Player of the Year. She continued her career in her home state at Florida State University, where Pickett’s class started the dominance of the Seminoles. The defender started all four years of her collegiate career and appeared in 103 games.
Pickett was an anchor on the defense that helped Florida State compile an 85-10-8 record during her four years. She was a huge part of the 2014 National Championship-winning Seminoles team. Additionally, Florida State made it to the College Cup every year that Pickett was with the team.
NWSL
She came out of Florida State as the fourth pick in the 2016 NWSL College Draft by the then Seattle Reign. The defender spent two seasons with the Reign and appeared in over 30 games before the team traded her to the Orlando Pride. Pickett spent her 2018 and 2019 seasons with the Pride and made 39 appearances. She has also spent time in the W-League playing three seasons with the Brisbane Roar between the NWSL seasons.
In February of 2021, Pickett was traded to the North Carolina Courage, a move that proved to be a win-win situation for both parties. North Carolina needed an outside back to fill in after Jaelene Daniels’ retirement, and Pickett needed a fresh start.
She was a star last season, starting every game for the Courage. So far this season, she has a 76.5% passing success rate, a 70% success rate in tackles, and two assists. Pickett was also just honored in the NWSL’s Best XI for June.
USWNT
With Pickett’s good form, it wasn’t surprising that the USWNT called her up for these summer matches. We’ve seen a good bit of turnover within the national team after the Olympics, so her NWSL form definitely made a difference in her consideration. In addition, she has the defensive skill and the ability to be dangerous and create quality chances in the offense, a style of play that the USWNT looks for at the outside back position.
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On Tuesday, June 28, Pickett got her first cap on the USWNT and played all 90 minutes! She’s the first player in USWNT history to have a limb difference, and she’s also one of the oldest players to make their debut for the team.
We’re so excited to see Pickett to continue playing for the USWNT this summer and hopefully more in the coming months and years.
Featured Image via @uswnt on Instagram
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