Dani Weatherholt hit a milestone 10,000 career NWSL regular season minutes in the North Carolina Courage’s 4-1 win in San Diego Sunday. The league veteran has made a legacy of doing what is asked of her and finding ways to help her team, wherever she’s played. This year, her first with the Courage, has seen her play several different roles — sometimes in a pinch — to be the ultimate utility woman the team has needed.
While the former Santa Clara Bronco started Sunday’s game in the midfield, a position where most of her professional minutes have come, Weatherholt has filled in at both center back and left back due to injuries or players being away on international duty.
“That’s why we brought her here. She is basically a Swiss Army knife. We moved her to left back because of the way we play our left back and the position that she takes up there. … It’s a team dynamic. You have to trust each other. When we have asked Dani to do something, she has done it without worry and stepped in to fill important holes. She is a big part of what we do and the best part is that I see her smiling when she plays. That’s all I really care about,” Courage Head Coach Sean Nahas said.
Weatherholt agrees, crediting her ability to step in and succeed in those roles to that trust.
“It took me 10,000 minutes to find what I feel like is my home. I feel like those 10,000 minutes shaped me into the player I am. I feel like I am part of a family. Sean and the staff and everyone have prepared me to play in different positions. I feel overwhelmingly that I just want to do what is best for the team and if that’s outside back, if that’s center back, I just have a team-first mentality,” Weatherholt told nccourage.com.
Weatherholt said that the mindset from the group is a testament to the team’s culture and the coaching staff’s ability.
“It is one thing to have that mindset, it is another for your teammates to accept you in every role. I have felt supported and encouraged and believed in, in every role that I have had to step into. That is a huge part of it. My teammates and coaches have given me the confidence to play out of position and know that they have my back no matter what,” Weatherholt said.
Starting at center back for an injured Malia Berkely on the road against Kansas City in May, Weatherholt won all four of her attempted tackles, made four interceptions, cleared the ball a team-high 11 times and didn’t commit a single foul in a valiant defensive effort that saw the Courage fall 0-1 against the then-league leading Current.
Weatherholt then started all four games of the NWSLxLiga MX Femenil Summer Cup at left back while Feli Rauch was away at the Olympics. She won seven tackles, 18 duels, made seven interceptions, six clearances and completed 90.45% of her passes. Weatherholt continued to hold down the role in the Courage’s first two games of the regular season following the break, allowing Rauch to ease back into the squad after playing nearly every minute of Germany’s bronze medal campaign at the Olympics.
In possession, the Courage’s left back often slides up and inside into a defensive midfieldarea. This allows the midfielder more freedom to move forward and gave Weatherholt familiarity in the role on the ball.
“I feel like with the ball I’m getting to play the position I have played my whole career and then defensively it is fun. It is a challenge. It is something different, but that is fun to learn and do,” Weatherholt said.
Weatherholt was a marquee free agent acquisition for the Courage last offseason. A player Nahas made a priority to add to the mix after successful stints with Orlando, Seattle, and Angel City. Every stop along the way, Weatherholt has proven to be a difference maker in whatever tactical set up she steps into.
Hitting 10,000 career minutes in San Diego, just a short trip down the coast from her hometown of Capistrano Beach, meant many of Weatherholt’s family members who supported her throughout her soccer journey could attend.
“My family being there really meant a lot. They have supported me so much over every minute that I have played. I think my grandma has watched every minute of my games, my mom, my dad, my brothers, them being there meant a lot,” Weatherholt said.
Achieving that milestone in Alex Morgan’s retirement game, a player who Weatherholt played many minutes with during her time with the Orlando Pride, added another special layer to the milestone match.
“I am just so overwhelmingly grateful for every minute I have been able to play because it means that I was healthy enough to play. I’ve played with some incredible players in those minutes and meant some incredible people within the communities and fans I have played in front of,” Weatherholt said.
Weatherholt is a crucially flexible piece on the field and huge culture add in the locker room. Congratulations to Weatherholt on 10,000 career NWSL regular season minutes. Here’s to many more.
