# 2020 North Carolina Courage season

The 2020 North Carolina Courage season was the team's fourth season as a professional women's soccer team. North Carolina Courage plays in the National Women's Soccer League, the top tier of women's soccer in the United States.

## Team
### Coaching staff

    As of October 1, 2020
    Source: North Carolina Courage
| Position | Staff |
| Head coach | Paul Riley |
| Assistant coach | Scott Vallow |
| Assistant coach | Bill Paladino |
| Assistant coach | Sean Nahas |
| Assistant coach | Nathan Thackeray |

### First-team roster

    As of September 30, 2020
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 1 | GK | CAN | Stephanie Labbé |
| 3 | DF | USA | Kaleigh Kurtz |
| 4 | FW | USA | McKenzie Meehan |
| 5 | MF | USA | Sam Mewis |
| 6 | DF | NZL | Abby Erceg * |
| 8 | MF | IRL | Denise O'Sullivan (loaned out) |
| 9 | FW | USA | Lynn Williams |
| 10 | MF | BRA | Debinha |
| 11 | DF | USA | Merritt Mathias |
| 13 | DF | USA | Abby Dahlkemper |
| 14 | FW | USA | Jessica McDonald * |
| 15 | DF | USA | Jaelene Daniels * |
| 19 | FW | USA | Crystal Dunn * |
| 20 | MF | USA | Ryan Williams |
| 21 | DF | USA | Cari Roccaro |
| 23 | FW | USA | Kristen Hamilton * |
| 25 | DF | USA | Meredith Speck |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 26 | DF | USA | Hailey Harbison |
| 27 | MF | USA | Lauren Milliet |
| 37 | GK | USA | Samantha Murphy |
| 99 | GK | USA | Katelyn Rowland |
| — | DF | CAN | Lindsay Agnew (loaned out) |
| — | DF | USA | Hailie Mace (loaned out) |
| — | DF | USA | Addisyn Merrick |
| — | DF | USA | Sinclaire Miramontez |
| — | FW | USA | Ally Watt |
| — | FW | USA | Rylee Baisden |
| — | FW | USA | Danica Evans |
| — | FW | ALB | Kristina Maksuti |
| — | MF | USA | Peyton Perea |
| — | DF | MEX | Arianna Romero |
| — | FW | JAM | Havana Solaun |
* Player opted not to participate in the 2020 NWSL Fall Series.

## Player transactions
### 2020 NWSL College Draft

    Source: National Women's Soccer League
| Round | Pick | Player | Previous Team |
| Round 1 | 6 | Ally Watt | Texas A&M |
| Round 3 | 27 | Sinclaire Miramontez | University of Nebraska |
| Round 4 | 28 | Addisyn Merrick | University of Kansas |
| Round 4 | 36 | Bri Folds | Auburn |

### Players in

| Date | Player | Positions played | Previous club | Fee/notes |
| June 19, 2020 | Lindsay Agnew | DF | Houston Dash | Signed a one-year contract with one-year option. |
| August 31, 2020 | Peyton Perea | MF | Santa Teresa CD | Signed through the 2020 season. |
| September 3, 2020 | Rylee Baisden | FW | Brisbane Roar FC | Signed through the 2020 season. |
| September 3, 2020 | Danica Evans | FW | Sporting de Huelva | Signed through the 2020 season. |
| September 8, 2020 | Kristina Maksuti | FW | MSV Duisburg | Signed through the 2020 season. |
| September 9, 2020 | Arianna Romero | DF | Houston Dash | Signed through the 2020 season. |
| September 30, 2020 | Havana Solaun | FW | Klepp IL | Signed through the 2020 season. |
| October 22, 2020 | Casey Murphy | GK | OL Reign | Acquired with $140,000 in allocation money in a trade for Crystal Dunn. |
| December 7, 2020 | Taylor Smith | DF | OL Reign | Acquired with the NWSL rights to Jodie Taylor in a trade for Ally Watt. |
| December 7, 2020 | Jodie Taylor (NWSL rights) | FW | OL Reign | Acquired with Taylor Smith in a trade for Ally Watt. |

### Players out

| Date | Player | Positions played | Destination club | Fee/notes |
| August 4, 2020 | Lindsay Agnew | DF | KIF Örebro DFF | Loaned. |
| August 10, 2020 | Samantha Mewis | MF | Manchester City W.F.C. | Signed; North Carolina retained NWSL rights. |
| August 14, 2020 | Hailie Mace | DF | Kristianstads DFF | Loaned. |
| September 9, 2020 | Denise O'Sullivan | DF | Brighton & Hove Albion W.F.C. | Loaned until December 31, 2020. |
| October 22, 2020 | Crystal Dunn | MF | OL Reign | Traded for Casey Murphy and $140,000 in allocation money. |
| October 30, 2020 | Rylee Baisden | FW | Unattached. | Contract terminated. |
| October 30, 2020 | Danica Evans | FW | Unattached. | Contract terminated. |
| October 30, 2020 | Kristina Maksuti | FW | Unattached. | Contract terminated. |
| October 30, 2020 | Peyton Perea | MF | Unattached. | Contract terminated. |
| October 30, 2020 | Arianna Romero | DF | Unattached. | Contract terminated. |
| November 4, 2020 | Jaelene Daniels | DF | Unattached; North Carolina retained NWSL rights. | Retired. |
| November 12, 2020 | Addisyn Merrick | DF | Racing Louisville FC | Selected in the 2020 NWSL Expansion Draft. |
| November 12, 2020 | Lauren Milliet | MF | Racing Louisville FC | Selected in the 2020 NWSL Expansion Draft. |
| December 7, 2020 | Ally Watt | DF | OL Reign | Traded for Taylor Smith and the NWSL rights to Jodie Taylor. |

## Competitions
### National Women's Soccer League
#### Preseason

    Source: North Carolina Courage
On March 12, 2020, the preseason match schedule was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

#### Regular season

On May 27, 2020, the NWSL announced that the 2020 NWSL regular season and playoffs were canceled due to the pandemic, and that the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup would mark the league's return to action.

#### Challenge Cup
##### Preliminary round

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | North Carolina Courage | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | +6 | 12 |
| 2 | Washington Spirit | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 7 |
| 3 | OL Reign | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 5 |
| 4 | Houston Dash | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 6 | −1 | 4 |
| 5 | Utah Royals FC (H) | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 4 |
| 6 | Chicago Red Stars | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 4 |
| 7 | Sky Blue FC | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 4 |
| 8 | Portland Thorns FC | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 3 |
* 1 2 Chicago Red Stars won the tiebreaker against Sky Blue FC on fewer yellow cards (1 to 4).

##### Quarter-finals
#### Fall Series

The Courage competed in the South "pod" of the NWSL Fall Series tournament, with the Houston Dash and Orlando Pride.
| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Portland Thorns FC (C) | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 3 | +7 | 10 | Community Shield |
| 2 | Houston Dash | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 7 | +5 | 9 | Runners-up |
| 3 | Washington Spirit | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 7 | Third place |
| 4 | Sky Blue FC | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 7 | −1 | 6 | |
| 5 | North Carolina Courage | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 10 | −2 | 5 | |
| 6 | Chicago Red Stars | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 4 | |
| 7 | OL Reign | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 8 | −2 | 4 | |
| 8 | Orlando Pride | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 8 | −3 | 2 | |
| 9 | Utah Royals FC | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 8 | −5 | 2 | |