Of the many trades conducted on the night of the 2023 NWSL Draft, Diana Ordóñez to the Houston Dash stands out as one of the more surprising moves.

The 21-year-old forward was sent to the Dash along with the No. 30 overall pick, while the North Carolina Courage received the No. 8 overall pick. With that pick, they chose defender Sydney Collins out of California. The Courage also received an international slot in 2023, as well as Houston’s natural first-round pick in 2024 and $100,000 in allocation money.

The trade was met with mixed reactions Thursday night, even from the Courage themselves.

“We still suck at trades in 2023,” team captain Abby Erceg wrote of the trade on Twitter, implying that the Dash got the better end of the deal.

Courage head coach Sean Nahas told reporters at the draft that Ordóñez herself and not the Courage prompted the trade, as she wanted to be closer to family.

“To be honest, it wasn’t easy, but there’s more to it than trading Diana,” Nahas told The Equalizer. “There were back-and-forth conversations and certain things she was looking for that she expressed to us. So, at the end of the day, we need to make a decision and we wanted to make sure we took care of her, as well, for the efforts and work that she put in for our club.

“She’s a family person, so I think that was a big thing for her. We thanked her for everything that she did. It’s not easy, we had a great relationship with her.”

Sam Laity, who was hired in December as head coach of the Dash, said the trade came together right before the draft began. But Ordóñez had been on his radar since he took the job.

“She was the first person, the first player that I targeted when I took the job,” Laity said. “We had initial discussions about it when I became the head coach… Ordóñez was a player we aligned with from a club perspective and a personal perspective. She has every attribute that you would need to be successful in the league.”

A Rookie of the Year candidate in 2022, Ordóñez was one of the best players on the field, scoring 11 goals to set the rookie record and starting in 17 of 19 games. Houston is coming off its first-ever playoff appearance, and the club will look to build on that in 2023.

Paul Riley plans to “fight” after the NWSL issued permanent bans to him and three other former coaches at the center of the league’s abuse reports, he said Tuesday.

The bans came one month after the NWSL and NWSLPA released the findings of their joint investigation into “widespread misconduct” in the league, and three months after U.S. Soccer released the results from its own investigation into “systemic” abuse and failures by NWSL coaches and executives.

Both reports detailed players’ allegations of sexual coercion and harassment against the former Portland Thorns and North Carolina Courage coach.

“We have a lot of plans ahead to fight a lot of things,” Riley said in a text message Tuesday to WRAL News. “Absolutely never had any intention of coaching in NWSL again. The political, woke, cancel culture of the league says it all.”

The 59-year-old did not specify what he planned to fight, though he has denied the allegations.

The abuse investigations started after a 2021 report in The Athletic revealed accusations made against Riley in 2015, during his tenure as head coach in Portland. The Thorns fired him after receiving the complaints but kept the reason for his dismissal under wraps publicly, which allowed Riley to continue coaching in the league.

In the aftermath of The Athletic report, Riley was fired from his position as head coach of the Courage, which he held from 2017-21. As part of the NWSL and NWSLPA joint investigation, Courage defender Kaleigh Kurtz said she felt Riley had been grooming her and identified his conduct as abusive.

“We stand firmly with the league, the NWSL Players Association and fellow clubs in holding player safety and well-being as our top priority,” the Courage said in a statement Monday.

In addition to Riley, former coaches Christy Holly, Rory Dames and Richie Burke have been barred permanently from the NWSL.

Holly was fired as Racing Louisville coach in August 2021 after he groped a player on multiple occasions. Burke was fired in September 2021 after player complaints of racism and verbal abuse. Dames resigned in November 2021 after a report in the Washington Post that exposed player complaints of his “pejorative,” “degrading” and “racially insensitive” comments.

After six seasons with the North Carolina Courage, midfielder Debinha has informed the club that she will not return in 2023.

The Brazilian national team star is a free agent this offseason. She has spent the entirety of her NWSL career with the Courage, and Debinha appeared in her 100th regular-season match during the club’s 2022 finale at San Diego. Through her six seasons, the midfielder has scored 35 goals.

She had a career-best 12 goals in 2022, and she was named to the NWSL First Team Best XI and an MVP finalist.

During her time with the club, Debinha won two NWSL championships, three NWSL Shields, the 2018 ICC Championship and the 2022 Challenge Cup title.

“It’s difficult to say goodbye to a club and community that has played such a big part in my life,” Debinha said. “I would like to thank the Courage for six amazing seasons, a time that we achieved so much and set a very high bar for the growth of women’s fútbol.”

Wishing the club “nothing but the best” for the future, Debinha also thanked the Courage fans for their “unwavering support.”

“I will always hold my time in North Carolina in a special place and have high regard for Sean, the coaching staff, the entire organization, and all those who helped me develop into the player I am today,” she said. “I will forever hold dearly my teammates and all we accomplished. I would like thank the amazing fans of the Courage for their unwavering support my entire time in North Carolina.

“I will forever be grateful for my time with the Courage.”

Notably, Debinha had been signed to a multi-year contract that included a club option. However, the midfielder was granted free agency under the league’s new CBA following an independent arbitrator’s review of the agreement that granted her and others eligible for free agency.

“We are extremely sad to see Deb leave and we know she does so as one of the most iconic players in our club’s history. We’ve watched her develop into a national and international superstar over the last half-decade with our club,” said Chief Soccer officer Curt Johnson, noting that the club made a “significant offer” in order to keep her in North Carolina.

“In our conversations, though, it became clear that – despite a deep love for this club and this community – she finds it in her best interest to continue her professional career elsewhere and we wish her nothing but the best,” he continued.

Off the field, this season was a difficult one for the Courage, as former head coach Paul Riley was the subject of abuse and sexual misconduct allegations. The joint investigation done by the NWSL and NWSLPA revealed that Riley’s misconduct continued while he was head coach at North Carolina.

Debinha had previously been linked to a possible move to Arsenal, which is currently down a number of players, including Beth Mead and Vivianne Miedema who have both suffered ACL injuries.

Jaelene Daniels and the North Carolina Courage have parted ways again after the club declined a team option on her contract for the 2023 season.

The defender retired from the NWSL in 2020 but returned to the league last December when she re-signed with the Courage. Daniels’ return immediately sparked backlash, as she had refused a call-up to the U.S. women’s national team in 2017 because she did not want to wear a rainbow-themed LGBTQ+ Pride jersey.

She reached out to Courage teammates and fans with a statement after her signing, saying, “My beliefs may call me to live differently, but my love runs deep for all.”

Courage owner Steve Malik defended Daniels’ signing in a statement. While the decision “sparked a lot of discussion internally, and with a cross section of fans,” the club felt she had made a “positive impact” on their “successful history,” Malik said.

Daniels, 29, started her NWSL career in 2015 with the Western New York Flash, the franchise that became the Courage in 2017. A two-time NWSL champion with the franchise in 2016 and in 2018, she announced her retirement in November 2020.

After the 2019 World Cup, her former USWNT teammate Ashlyn Harris — who is married to Ali Krieger, another of Daniels’ former USWNT teammates — slammed Daniels for her stance on the LGBTQ+ community, calling her intolerant and “homophobic.”

“You don’t belong in a sport that aims to unite and bring people together,” Harris said. “You would never fit into our pack or what this team stands for. Don’t you dare say our team is ‘not a welcoming place for Christians.’ You weren’t around long enough to know what this team stood for. This is actually an insult to the Christians on our team.”

When Daniels returned to North Carolina ahead of the 2022 season, she did so at a time of turmoil for the franchise. Paul Riley, who had coached the Flash and then the Courage from 2016-21, was fired after the 2021 season when sexual misconduct allegations against him were made public in The Athletic.

During the 2022 season, Daniels again refused to wear a Pride jersey. The team left her off the roster for a July home match that served as the Courage’s Pride night.

“Jaelene will not be rostered tonight as she has made the decision to not wear our Pride jersey. While we’re disappointed with her choice, we respect her right to make that decision for herself,” Nikki Stoudt, North Carolina’s communications manager, said in a statement.

Courage forward Merritt Mathias issued a statement in May saying she recognized the pain that re-signing Daniels, among other decisions by the club, caused LGBTQ+ fans in particular, and that she sympathizes “as a player who is part of the community.”

“There is a group here that truly, truly loves and supports and is here for the LGBTQ community,” Mathias said.

The North Carolina Courage have made an unlikely playoff push, surging from last place in the NWSL standings and into playoff position in just five weeks.

The stark turnaround has the Courage in sixth place and in control of their own destiny. With a win Friday against the San Diego Wave, they would clinch a spot in the six-team bracket.

Just Women’s Sports takes a look at three of the players who have helped power North Carolina’s playoff push as we enter the final weekend of the NWSL regular season.

Debinha

The 30-year-old Brazilian star has gone on a tear, scoring five goals in the last two games to help propel North Carolina to their current position.

Debinha would not be denied in Orlando on Sept. 21, scoring two of the Courage’s three goals. Then, against NJ/NY Gotham FC on Saturday, she scored all three of the goals in their 3-0 win to secure the hat trick and continue to rocket North Carolina up the standings.

Her hat trick was the first for the Courage since 2019.

Her performance has earned praise from the likes of Carli Lloyd, who called her “world class.” She also now sits tied for second in the race for the Golden Boot with 12 goals, just three behind San Diego’s Alex Morgan (15).

Diana Ordóñez

Diana Ordóñez has had a rookie season to remember. In August, she broke the NWSL rookie record for most goals in a season, and she has since added four more to bring her total to 11. The 21-year-old currently sits fourth behind Morgan, Debinha, and Sophia Smith.

All her goals have come from inside the penalty area, an impressive feat for a rookie. Yet just one has come from the penalty spot. Five of Morgan’s 15 have come from the spot — take those away, and she and Ordóñez are tied at 10.

After being selected sixth overall in the 2021 NWSL Draft, Ordóñez has put herself firmly in Rookie of the Year position.

“I think the response from the team this half of the season has been nothing short of extremely impressive,” Ordóñez told On Her Turf. “Everyone’s really bought in and wants to give ourselves the best chance to make the playoffs… At this point, we’re just worried about controlling what we can control.”

Carson Pickett

Defender Carson Pickett has been dangerous this season, providing a league-leading six assists while scoring a goal of her own. A key piece of the Courage’s resurgence, she’s earned three straight NWSL Best XI monthly honors while juggling time with the U.S. women’s national team.

During Sunday’s match, she provided a key assist on one of Debinha’s goals with a pass that proved just how skilled she is.

Her success rate on passes this season sits at 77.2 percent, with a 43.9 percent success rate on long passes. With a total of 153 crosses completed, Pickett leads the league.

The NWSL playoff race is coming down to the wire, with two postseason spots up for grabs heading into the final week of the regular season.

The Portland Thorns, OL Reign, Kansas City Current and San Diego Wave all have clinched playoff berths, while the Houston Dash, North Carolina Courage, Chicago Red Stars and Angel City FC are in contention for the remaining two postseason slots.

NWSL playoff picture

Houston Dash advance with:

  • Win
  • Tie
  • Loss and Courage loss or tie or Red Stars loss or tie

North Carolina Courage advance with:

  • Win
  • Tie and Red Stars loss or tie
  • Loss and Red Stars tie

Chicago Red Stars advance with:

  • Win and Courage loss or tie
  • Win by more than two goals and Dash loss

Angel City FC advance with:

  • Win and Courage loss

Final weekend schedule

  • San Diego Wave vs. North Carolina — 10 p.m. ET Friday, Paramount+
  • NJ/NY Gotham FC vs. Portland Thorns — 6 p.m. ET Saturday, Paramount+
  • Washington Spirit vs. Houston Dash — 7 p.m. ET Saturday, Paramount+
  • Racing Louisville FC vs. Kansas City Current — 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday, Twitch
  • OL Reign vs. Orlando Pride — 10 p.m. ET Saturday, Twitch
  • Chicago Red Stars vs. Angel City FC — 6 p.m. ET Sunday, Paramount+

Debinha put on a show Saturday night, logging a hat trick to lift the North Carolina Courage to an emphatic 3-0 over Gotham FC.

The Brazilian star opened up scoring in the 27th minute, running onto a perfectly weighted ball from Carson Pickett before faking out Michelle Betos and slotting home the go-ahead finish.

Keeping her foot on the gas, Debinha added to her tally in the 34th minute, volleying a lofted cross past the Gotham FC keeper to put North Carolina up 2-0 heading into the break.

Debinha completed her hat trick with another quality finish in the 81st minute, chipping a shot over Betos after finding plenty of time and space on the right flank.

The 30-year-old’s prolific outing earned the praise of Coach Sean Nahas, who said Debinha is on a “different level.”

“Not sure there is a better player in the world right now,” Nahas said in a Twitter post after Saturday’s game.

Debinha now has 12 goals on the season, tied with Portland’s Sophia Smith for second in the Golden Boot race behind Alex Morgan, who leads the league with 15 goals.

The Courage’s shutout caps off an impressive run with four wins in the club’s last five games. North Carolina’s late-season stand has lifted the club to sixth in the NWSL standings, just above the playoff contention line.

North Carolina will end their season with a trip to San Diego on Sept. 30 to take on the Wave with a place in the playoffs in play.

Diana Ordóñez is enjoying a breakout NWSL season, injecting life into the North Carolina Courage’s attack.

The 20-year-old was drafted sixth overall by the Courage in the 2022 draft. She decided to make the jump to the professional ranks after a prolific three years at the University of Virginia.

Ordóñez’s hot streak in the NWSL comes as no surprise to those who followed her tenure as a Cavalier. At Virginia, she tied for the third-most goals in program history.

With a seamless transition to the NWSL, Ordóñez quickly made her impact on the Courage’s front line. She scored her first professional goal to help North Carolina to the Challenge Cup title in early May.

“I am so proud of her,” teammate Carson Pickett said of Ordóñez following the team’s Challenge Cup semifinal victory. “She works so hard day in, day out, and coming in as a rookie, it’s hard enough, and coming into a big semifinal game, I am just so proud of her.”

Ordóñez has continued to shine during the regular season, leading all Courage scorers with seven goals through nine matches played. The rookie striker has scored in the Courage’s last three games, including impressive back-to-back braces.

Her goals haul, which includes one left-footed goal, three right-footed shots and three headers, puts Ordóñez in the NWSL Golden Boot race with USWNT stars Sophia Smith (11), Alex Morgan (11) and Mallory Pugh (6).

Ordóñez’s seven goals tie the league’s all-time rookie goal record, placing her in contention for Rookie of the Year honors.

North Carolina Courage defender Jaelene Daniels will not compete in Friday’s Pride Night fixture after refusing to wear the club’s Pride jersey.

The defender will not be on the roster for the match against the Washington Spirit at WakeMed Soccer Park because she declined to wear the jersey, the team said in a statement to local TV station WRAL. Daniels previously refused a call-up to the U.S. women’s national team in 2017 because she did not want to wear a Pride jersey.

“Jaelene will not be rostered tonight as she has made the decision to not wear our Pride jersey. While we’re disappointed with her choice, we respect her right to make that decision for herself. We’re excited to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community with our fans, players and staff tonight and look forward to hosting our first ever Pride Festival before kickoff,” Nikki Stoudt, North Carolina’s communications manager, said in a statement to WRAL.

Daniels re-signed with the Courage in December 2021 after retiring from professional soccer in 2020. The 29-year-old competed with North Carolina in 2017, 2018 and 2019, helping the Courage to two NWSL championships.

Her 2021 signing with the team generated backlash, and the Courage issued an apology to their fanbase several days after announcing the signing.

“In response to the recent news of re-signing Jaelene Daniels, we as a club acknowledge the impact this announcement has on our community,” the North Carolina Courage said in a statement. “We’ve spent the past few days reading your messages and reflecting on our actions. We are very sorry to all those we have hurt, especially those within the LGBTQIA+ community.

“The decision to re-sign Jaelene was not made lightly and included significant conversations between organization leadership and Jaelene. The priority expressed in those conversations is the safety of our players and maintaining an inclusive, respectful space for the entire team.”

Daniels also put out a statement of her own in December responding to fans’ criticism of her return to North Carolina.

“I remain committed to my faith and my desire for people to know that my love for them isn’t based on their belief system or sexuality,” Daniels said. “I pray and firmly believe that my teammates know how much I cherish them, respect them and love them.”

The defender’s presence on the Courage roster has remained a topic of conversation throughout the season, with teammate Merritt Mathias commenting on Daniels’ return in May.

“There’s been a very particular voice that has been heard in wanting to support the community. And personally, I don’t think we’ve done a great job of that in the past years,” Mathias said. “I don’t think that has been any secret. We didn’t have a Pride Night for three years, we didn’t wear a jersey. Everyone knows all these things and I think bringing back Jaelene (Daniels) was a decision made by the club and as a player who is part of the community, you have to work through those struggles but that is what a team is about.”

Carson Pickett scored her first NWSL goal Sunday, mere weeks after earning her first USWNT cap.

The North Carolina Courage defender scored the first goal of the game in the 22nd minute to achieve the feat. It was one of two goals scored by the Courage in their 2-2 draw with Chicago, the second coming from Brittany Ratcliffe in the 49th minute.

Pickett made history on June 29 when she became the first player with a limb difference to play for the USWNT. She was born without a left hand and forearm. The 28-year-old is also the oldest USWNT player to make a national team debut since 2017.

She’s been a part of the league since 2016, when she played with then-Seattle Reign FC. She was later traded to Orlando before joining the Courage in 2021. She has also spent time in Australia and Cyprus.

While the Courage jumped out to a 2-0 lead, the Red Stars managed to get two stoppage time goals to end the game in a draw.

North Carolina remains at the bottom of the table with eight points while Chicago sits in second with 20.