CARY, N.C. (Nov. 6, 2023) – The North Carolina Courage have four players named to the 2023 NWSL Best XI, presented by Mastercard, as announced by the league office Monday. Forward Kerolin Nicoli earned first team honors while defenders Emily Fox and Kaleigh Kurtz, along with midfielder Denise O’Sullivan, garnered second team status.
The four Courage players on the two combined Best XI teams matches NWSL Shield winner San Diego Wave FC for the highest total among the 12 NWSL clubs.
Kerolin finished as the runner-up in the Golden Boot Race, becoming just the third Brazilian and fourth NC Courage player to notch double digit goals in a league campaign. The Brazilian also added three assists to her goal total, finishing second in the league in total goal contributions.
The forward, who missed time to represent Brazil in the FIFA Women’s World Cup, won 115 duels and was a constant threat in the attacking third, leading the Courage to the three-seed and a home playoff contest for the first time since 2019.
Fox finished the year with an 86.2% pass accuracy and added two assists while helping the Courage concede the second-fewest goals in the league. The United States Women’s National Team standout and former first overall NWSL draft pick was a mainstay in the fullback role in her first season with the Courage and racked up 13 tackles, 40 clearances, 28 interceptions and won 65 duels.
Kurtz played every minute of the 2023 season, earning the iron woman distinction for the second year in a row. The defender maintained an 83.3% pass accuracy and helped the Courage to a league-leading 10 clean sheets.Kurtz also finished the year with the second-most blocks in the league with 22.
Kurtz won 18 tackles with a success rate of 72% and won 74 duels with a success rate of 57.8%. The center back also had 10 interceptions and 76 clearances.
O’Sullivan’s 86.5% pass accuracy ranked fourth in the league among players with at least 1,000 minutes played. O’Sullivan also added one goal and one assist on the offensive end, while making 26 interceptions and winning 34 tackles. The midfielder also finished with the fifth-most duels won in the league with 137.
She was named the second Courage captain in team history prior to the season and was the ultimate leader, both on and off the field. The Courage proved themselves right with a finish in the standings markedly higher than external preseason expectations but, perhaps more importantly, built a strong foundational chemistry and comradery for the present and future.
