CARY, N.C. (Nov. 12, 2024) – Two members of the North Carolina Courage are finalists for major NWSL End-of-Year awards, as announced by the league office Tuesday. Kaleigh Kurtz is a finalist for NWSL Defender of the Year while Ashley Sanchez is a finalist for Midfielder of the Year.
Voting is open now through Friday, November 15 at 3 p.m. ET. The final round of voting is weighted 40% players, 25% coaches, GMs and owners, 25% media and 10% fans. This final round of voting will also help determine the 2024 Best XI first and second teams.
The model of consistency, Kurtz earned Iron Woman status for the third straight NWSL season, playing every minute of 2024. She broke the NWSL record for consecutive minutes played in May and continued to extend her record through the end of the season and will carry 7,992 straight minutes played into 2025. The center back helped the Courage rank third in the league in goals conceded at 28 with six clean sheets in regular season play.
Kurtz, who is a Defender of the Year finalist for the second straight season, led all players with 1,772 successful passes while passing with 86% accuracy. Her 2,428 touches were second only to teammate Ryan Williams, and she ranked fifth among all NWSL defenders with 121 clearances, second in blocks with 33, and fourth in aerial duels won with 35.
Sanchez was the primary offensive catalyst for the Courage in her first season with the club, leading the team in goals, assists, total shots, shots on target, chances created, dribbles completed, and penalty area entries. She ranked within the top 10 among all NWSL players in each category except total goals, in which she was top 20.
Playing the attacking midfield role behind a carrousel of forwards in the absence of reigning league MVP Kerolin Nicoli for much of the year, Sanchez showed consistency and impressive growth while learning a new team and role this season.
Award winners will be announced in the days surrounding the 2024 NWSL Championship, presented by Google Pixel. The match, set for Saturday, November 23, kicks off at 8 p.m. ET at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri and will air live on CBS Television Network and stream on Paramount+
