North Carolina Courage Goes All-SEC in the 2021 Draft

In the weeks following the NWSL Fall Series, it became clear that North Carolina Courage head coach Paul Riley would have a long list of roster spots to fill.

• Stephanie Labbé departed to Rosengård in Sweden
• Crystal Dunn was traded to the Portland Thorns
• Sam Mewis signed with Manchester City, and Abby Dahlkemper reportedly is also about to sign with the club
• Jaelene Daniels and McKenzie Meehan retired from professional soccer
• Rookie Addison Merrick and promising second-year player Lauren Milliet were taken by Racing Louisville in the expansion draft

That’s an awful lot to ask from a draft. After teasing some upcoming roster moves, the North Carolina Courage went all-in on the SEC in the 2021 draft, choosing Deanne Rose from the University of Florida, Alyssa Malonson out of Auburn, and Myra Konte from Vanderbilt.

With the 10th pick in the first round, the Courage picked up Canadian forward Deanne Rose. The University of Florida senior was the SEC Freshman of the Year in 2017 and had 18 career goals for the Gators. Rose made her first appearance with the senior Canadian Women’s National Team in 2015 and has earned 48 caps. She’s recorded nine goals with the Canadian squad, winning a bronze medal with the team at the 2016 Rio Olympics and making an appearance in the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France.

In the second round, the Courage selected defender Alyssa Malonson as the 20th draft pick. The Auburn senior played a significant role in the Tigers’ attack, scoring two goals and contributing 18 assists for the team. Malonson has earned SEC all-conference honors three times during her Auburn career, including being named to the All-SEC Second Team in 2020. Riley tends to patiently develop players into their roles on the team. Still, with the departure of backline playmakers like Daniels and Dahlkemper (and barring further roster activity that replaces those players), she may get the chance to make her mark on the team sooner rather than later.

Myra Konte is Vanderbilt University’s first-ever NWSL draftee in the program’s history. The defender was taken by the Courage with the 30th pick in the third round. A self-described passionate, driven, and hard-working player, Konte had to call on those qualities after she suffered an ACL tear in 2019. She made her way back into the team in 2020, playing 10 out of 12 matches, and finished off her college career by winning the SEC Championship with the Commodores, making the 2020 SEC All-Tournament Team, and being named the 2020 SEC Tournament MVP. Passion and drive are two words you hear a lot from Paul Riley, so Konte should easily fit into the club’s culture.

With Riley promising more personnel news in the near future, the Courage roster will look substantially different in 2021.