North Carolina Courage

The North Carolina Courage's back-to-back NWSL Championships in 2018 and 2019 remain the gold standard for dominance in league history. Completing the Shield-Championship double both years, the Courage were a juggernaut built around Sam Mewis, Crystal Dunn, Lynn Williams, and Abby Dahlkemper - a roster so deep and so well-coached that opponents could only hope to contain them. It was a dynasty that seemed built to last.

But the league-wide reckoning around coaching misconduct in 2021 hit the Courage particularly hard, and the departure of key players through trades, free agency, and international moves left the club in a prolonged rebuilding cycle. The years since have been humbling for a franchise accustomed to playing for trophies. New ownership and coaching staff have focused on rebuilding the culture from the ground up, investing in younger talent and establishing an identity that can sustain competitiveness in a league that has grown far more talented and better-resourced than during the dynasty years.

Entering 2026, the Courage are a team looking to turn the corner. Playing at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, the club benefits from the Triangle region's passionate and knowledgeable soccer community - an area that has long been one of the strongest youth soccer markets in the country. The NWSL's expansion to 16 teams means that the path back to contention is more demanding than ever, but the Courage's championship pedigree and the hunger to recapture past glory provide a foundation that few rebuilding clubs can match.