Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images
The 2026 National Women’s Soccer League season kicks off on March 13, and we at The Equalizer are previewing all 16 teams for you. Yesterday, we detailed the four teams that finished at the bottom of last season’s standings. Today, we’ve got the other two teams who finished below the playoff line, as well as 2026’s expansion sides.
Last season: 9-9-8 (9th place)
Head coach: Mak Lind (1st season with the Courage)
Key additions: Kailen Sheridan, Ally Schlegel, Evelyn Ijeh
Key losses: Denise O’Sullivan, Casey Murphy, Kaleigh Kurtz
About the offseason: After falling one point short of the playoffs last season, this North Carolina Courage team has seen a lot of changes. There’s a new coach in Mak Lind, who joins the team from Swedish women’s side BK Häcken. (Lind replaces Sean Nahas, who was fired last summer for “a multitude of factors.”) And multiple veteran members of the championship-winning team have departed: Longtime goalkeeper Casey Murphy and defender Kaleigh Kurtz both headed to expansion teams (Boston Legacy and Denver Summit, respectively), while captain Denise O’Sullivan left for Liverpool in January. The loss of O’Sullivan is particularly harsh, with the veteran midfielder leaving the team after nine seasons, two championships and three Shields, and leaving a massive leadership hole in her wake.
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