West Wake News

The North Carolina Courage have secured the services of defender Brooklyn Courtnall with a three-year contract, extending through the 2027 NWSL season. This announcement was made by the club on Thursday. Courtnall, who earned first-team All-American honors at the University of Southern California in 2024, is notably the first collegiate player to be signed by the Courage following the new post-draft process.

During her time at USC from 2021 to 2024, Courtnall started in all four years and played in 78 matches as part of their defensive lineup. Her performance as an underclassman earned her All-Pac 12 recognition three times. As a senior, she achieved first-team All-Big 10 and All-America honors while leading her team to secure 11 clean sheets and win the Big 10 regular season title before advancing to the NCAA quarterfinals. TopDrawer Soccer ranked her as Division I's sixth-best player in their post-season evaluations.

Expressing her enthusiasm about joining North Carolina Courage, Courtnall stated, “I’m so grateful to sign with the Courage and to join such an amazing organization. I can’t wait to get started and grow in this competitive environment. North Carolina has set a standard for championships and I’m excited to continue that.”

Courage Head Coach Sean Nahas praised Courtnall's signing: “This is a great signing for our club to bring in someone of Brooklyn’s quality... She had a tremendous senior year and was heavily valued by other teams in the league... We’re thrilled she’s decided to join our club.” Nahas emphasized Courtnall's versatility, dynamic playstyle, and comprehensive understanding of soccer.

Courtnall also brings international experience from her participation with Canada's Youth National Team during the 2022 Under-20 FIFA Women’s World Cup. In that tournament, she played seven matches—starting three—and scored twice, contributing significantly to Canada securing a bronze medal.

At just 21 years old, Courtnall continues an athletic family tradition; her father Russ Courtnall had a lengthy career in the NHL, while her sister Ally competed in both soccer and track at UCLA, and brother Lawton played ice hockey at Western Michigan.

Courtnall's contract will commence on January 1st when she joins preseason camp mid-January with North Carolina Courage.