The North Carolina Courage re-signed forward Brittany Ratcliffe and traded for former No. 1 overall draft pick Emily Fox on Monday.
The Courage sent defenders Abby Erceg and Carson Pickett to Racing Louisville in exchange for Fox, an NWSL Rookie of the Year finalist in 2021. Fox also boasts 24 caps with the U.S. women’s national team.
“We are thrilled to add Emily to our club,” head coach Sean Nahas said. “She is one of the bright young players in the game who will come in and have an immediate impact. She plays multiple positions, maintains wonderful technical quality and has an attacking mind frame.”
The deal announced Monday for the 28-year-old Ratcliffe includes a mutual option for 2024.
Ratcliffe tallied three goals in 22 games over her first two seasons with the Courage in 2021 and 2022.
“Britt is the ultimate pro. Day in and day out she is someone who puts in the work for both herself and the team,” Nahas said. “Her tireless work rate and commitment is what we need on our roster. In 2022 she gave us quality minutes when called upon and we are very happy to have a quality player and person back with us for the 2023 season.”
Ratcliffe was the 17th overall pick by the Boston Breakers in the 2016 NWSL Draft out of Virginia. She also played for FC Kansas City (2017) and the Utah Royals (2018-20) before joining the Courage.
–Field Level Media
