Cary, NC (November 30, 2021) – The North Carolina Courage have traded midfielder Sam Mewis to Kansas City in exchange for defender Kiki Pickett and the Current’s natural first round pick in the upcoming 2022 NWSL Draft presented by Ally, the club announced today. North Carolina will also acquire the discovery rights to Malia Berkely, as an additional part of the deal in exchange for the Courage’s natural first round pick in the draft.

“With the upcoming expansion draft, which allows clubs to only protect one allocated player, we were put in a position to make some difficult decisions,” President and GM Curt Johnson said. “It was important to proactively seek trade partners as opposed to wait and lose an allocated player for little in return. These conversations resulted in this trade. Sam is a fantastic player and even better person. We know she will go on to do incredible things in the next chapter of her career and we are grateful to her for the impact she has made throughout her time with the Courage. She will certainly be missed.” “In this particular case, proactive change was a must and with it comes three fantastic young players,” Johnson added. “We’re excited to welcome Kiki to the Courage after her outstanding rookie year and we look forward to the addition of more talented players with the upcoming draft and acquiring Malia Berkely’s NWSL rights.” Drafted fourth overall in the 2021 NWSL Draft, Kiki Pickett appeared in sixteen matches for the Kansas City Current this season, clocking 1,244 minutes of playing time and earning a nomination for NWSL Rookie of the Year. The defender posted 30 clearances, two blocks, and 30 interceptions, maintaining a 65.5% passing accuracy rate and collecting ten key passes. The 22-year-old is a Stanford alum, winning two NCAA Championship titles and three Pac-12 Championship titles while with the Cardinal, and was also named the Pac-12 Defender of the Year. “We are really excited about the addition of Kiki to our locker room,” Interim Head Coach Sean Nahas said. “She’s a player who brings great energy, personality, and passion for the game, along with a fantastic technical foundation and soccer IQ. She is someone we can add different nuances to and she’ll fit well in to how we want to play. We look forward to the positive impact Kiki will bring here to Courage country.” The Courage have also acquired the discovery rights to Malia Berkely. Berkely has been playing in France for FC Girondins de Bordeaux, who she signed with in January of this year. A graduate of Florida State University, Berkely is one of the most decorated players in the university’s history, playing in 84 matches, recording four goals and fourteen assists while leading the Seminoles to three ACC Championship titles and an NCAA Championship title. Berkely was also named ACC Defensive Player of the Year in 2019 and 2020. Sam Mewis departs for Kansas City following five dominant seasons with the Courage, plus two years with the Western NY Flash prior to the team’s relocation. Mewis has been an integral component of the team’s dominant midfield as she helped lead the club to two NWSL Championship titles, three NWSL Shields, and an ICC Championship title. In total, the Hanson, MA native has appeared in 69 matches for North Carolina, tallying fifteen goals and collecting nine assists over four regular seasons and the abbreviated 2020 season. “Sam has been an extremely impactful player here with the Courage and has played an influential role in our club’s success over the years,” Interim Head Coach Sean Nahas said. “She is a player who day in, and day out wants to leave the field better than when she arrived, and she has always set the standard for excellence at the club. Sam is an amazing human, and for me as a coach, to have had the opportunity to work with her is something I am extremely grateful for. I wish Sam all the best on her new journey and will always be a massive fan of both the person and player that she is.”