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NWSL North Carolina Courage

Carson Pickett Nominated for 2021 NWSL Defender of the Year Award

November 5, 2021 - National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
North Carolina Courage News Release


Cary, NC - NC Courage defender Carson Pickett has been named a finalist for the 2021 NWSL Defender of the Year, the NWSL announced today. The other nominees in this category include Alana Cook (OL Reign), Caprice Dydasco (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Sarah Gorden (Chicago Red Stars) and Emily Menges (Portland Thorns FC).

Acquired in a trade with Orlando earlier this year, Pickett quickly became an integral component of the Courage backline over the course of the season. Starting all 24 matches so far with North Carolina, the Spartanburg native ranks third in the league for playing time with 2,147 minutes, and has posted 45 clearances, seven blocks, 54 interceptions. Likewise dominant in the attacking third, Pickett has recorded five assists, 28 successful crosses, and ranks second in the league for corner kicks with 103, generating numerous scoring opportunities for the Courage across several matches.

Pickett and her Courage side will kick-off their quarterfinal match against the Washington Spirit this Sunday, November 7 at Audi Field in Washington D.C. The match will air live on Paramount+ at 5:30 p.m. ET.

NWSL Awards Voting Info:

The 2021 NWSL Awards are voted upon in two rounds with fans having the opportunity to participate in the final round of the voting process. In the preliminary round of voting, players, owners, general managers, coaches, and the media voted on the individual awards to determine the final nominees. The preliminary round used a weighted scale, broken down by players (50%), owners/GMs/coaches (25%) and media (25%).

Fans wishing to vote on the individual award winners, Best XI, and Best XI Second Team can access the voting ballot here. All votes must be submitted by Tuesday, November 9 at 11:59 p.m. ET. The final round of voting uses a weighted scale of players (50%), owners/GMs/coaches (20%), media (20%) and fans (10%).

The nominees for each of those 2021 NWSL Awards are:

Most Valuable Player, presented by Budweiser: Jessica Fishlock (OL Reign), Ashley Hatch (Washington Spirit), Mallory Pugh (Chicago Red Stars), Margaret Purce (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Angela Salem (Portland Thorns FC)

Defender of the Year: Alana Cook (OL Reign), Caprice Dydasco (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Sarah Gorden (Chicago Red Stars), Emily Menges (Portland Thorns FC), Carson Pickett (North Carolina Courage)

Goalkeeper of the Year: Bella Bixby (Portland Thorns FC), Aubrey Bledsoe (Washington Spirit), Kailen Sheridan (NJ/NY Gotham FC)

Rookie of the Year, presented by Ally: Emily Fox (Racing Louisville FC), Victoria Pickett (Kansas City Current), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit)

Coach of the Year: Laura Harvey (OL Reign), Scott Parkinson (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Mark Parsons (Portland Thorns FC)

Additional awards to be voted on in the final round include:

Best XI, presented by Mastercard, honoring a first and second team representing the top 22 players in the league.

These award winners will be announced in the days surrounding the NWSL Championship game, which is set to kick off Saturday, November 20 at 12 p.m. ET at Lynn Family Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky. The contest will air live on CBS Television Network and stream live internationally on the NWSL's Twitch channel.

In addition to the awards listed above, the winner of the inaugural Nationwide Community Impact Award will be announced and honored at halftime of the 2021 NWSL Championship match. The league will also select and announce the Championship MVP presented by Budweiser during the postgame, on-field presentation.

Check out the North Carolina Courage Statistics



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