Defender Emily Fox is headed to North Carolina as part of a trade with Racing Louisville FC, in exchange for defenders Abby Erceg and Carson Pickett, according to sources not officially allowed to talk about the trade. The exchange is expected to be announced on Monday afternoon. Here is what you need to know;
- Foxes, first draft pick of 2021, was with Racing Louisville when he first met as an expansion team. While he primarily plays as a left back, he can switch to center or play on the right as well.
- Mind will add a fox to his back, like replacing Carson Pickett. But the Braves are rebuilding their midfield roster, and Erceg’s departure, along with his recent deal with Angel City FC involving Merritt Mathias, has brought the team back to right-back, meaning a new defense for the team in 2023.
Racing Louisville’s offseason moves
Louisville announced two key contract extensions this offseason, primarily midfielder Jaelin Howell and goalkeeper Katie Lund. They also picked up forward Paige Monaghan as part of a trade with Gotham FC.
During the NWSL Draft, they widened their attacking options, selecting Kayla Fischer (F, Ohio State) at no. 16 overall, Brianna Martinez (D, Notre Dame) at no. 17, Jadyn Edwards (F, New Mexico) at no. 29 and Leo Parker (F, Alabama) at no. 31^ with four excerpts.
Erceg’s move to Louisville will help add some veteran presence to the team, and will reunite her (and Pickett) with former teammate Jessica McDonald.
North Carolina is moving into the offseason
It was also a real offseason. The team dealt with Debinha by choosing to explore free agency (eventually headed to Kansas City), but also gave star rookie Diana Ordóñez to the Houston Dash in exchange for legitimate draft picks. They picked up forward Tyler Lussi from the Angels in last week’s trade for Merritt Mathias.
North Carolina also locked up some key players: midfielder Brianna Pinto only signed a three-year deal, as did goalkeeper Casey Murphy and defender Ryan Williams. The club also signed 23-year-old forward Gejl Jensen, who has professional experience with BK Häcken and Brøndby IF.
Animus finished with four first-round captures, thanks in part to his trade with Dash. 6 Olivia Wingate (F, Notre Dame) at No., Sydney Collins (DM, California) at 8, Clara Robbins (M, Florida State) at No. 9 and Haley Hopkins (F, Virginia) at No. 11. Notably, the last time the team had a top-four finish, the Western Flash of New York selected Abby Dahlkemper, Lynn Williams, Sam Mewis and Jaelene Hinkle (Daniels) in the 2015 draft — a huge piece of the team that wanted to continue winning multiple NWSL championships and goals.
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(Photo: EM Dash / USA Today)
