ORLANDO, Fla. (Aug. 16, 2024) — The Orlando Pride has acquired defender Carson Pickett from Racing Louisville FC in exchange for $75,000 in Allocation Money, it was announced today. Pickett, a product of Florida State University, returns to Orlando where she previously played from the 2018-20 seasons.
“We’re very excited to welcome Carson back to Orlando. She’s a player who has proven herself year-over-year in the league and brings additional quality and depth to our backline, including a strong aerial presence,” said Orlando Pride VP of Soccer Operations and General Manager Haley Carter. “In addition to what she can contribute on the field, Carson has a great connection with our fans and the Orlando community and is an excellent fit for our locker room and team culture. We look forward to welcoming her back to her home state and seeing her back in purple soon.”
“I am so excited to be back in Orlando with the Pride. Orlando has always held a special place in my heart and to be able to come back and play in my home state is an absolute honor,” Pickett said. “Haley and Seb have created the kind of environment and culture that any professional would love to be a part of, and I can’t wait to join the team and help bring an NWSL Championship to Orlando. I’m so excited to reconnect with all of the Pride fans and to have the opportunity to represent them once again.”
A two-time NWSL Best XI honoree, Pickett re-joins the Pride following two seasons in Louisville where she totaled 36 appearances, all but one of them starts, and tallied one goal and one assist. Prior to that, Pickett spent two seasons with the North Carolina Courage where she earned her two Best XI nods following both the 2021 and 2022 seasons and was a finalist for Defender of the Year both years. In Cary, Pickett played in 45 matches totaling one goal and 11 assists over the two seasons, leading the NWSL in assists in 2022 and finishing second in the league in the same category in 2021. She also won the 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup with the Courage and was named to the All-Tournament Team.
During her time with the Pride, Pickett made 39 appearances across the 2018 and 2019 seasons but ultimately did not appear in the 2020 campaign due to the pandemic.
A native of Fleming Island, Fla., Pickett began her professional career with the Seattle Reign, who drafted the former Seminole with the No. 4 overall selection in the 2016 NWSL Draft. Pickett made 36 appearances for the Reign with one assist. Pickett also played for Brisbane Roar of Australia’s A-League for three consecutive NWSL offseasons from 2017-20.
Internationally, the defender made her debut with the U.S. Women’s National Team on June 28, 2022, against Colombia. Pickett also featured for numerous U.S. youth national teams throughout her career.
In four years in Tallahassee, Pickett helped lead the Seminoles to the 2014 NCAA Championship and was part of a defense that held each opponent scoreless throughout the tournament.
The Pride return to regular season play on Aug. 23 when they travel to face the Houston Dash. Orlando returns to Inter&Co Stadium on Sept. 1, set to welcome back the Club’s seven Olympians – including five medalists – in front of their hometown crowd. Single-match tickets for the Pride remaining home games are available at Orlando-Pride.com/tickets.
TRANSACTION: Orlando Pride acquires defender Carson Pickett via trade with Racing Louisville FC in exchange for $75,000 in Allocation Money.
Carson Pickett
Number: 19
Position: Defender
Height: 5-9
Born: Sept. 15, 1993 in Spartanburg, S.C.
Hometown: Fleming Island, Fla.
College: Florida State University
Citizenship: USA
