Defender Addisyn Merrick and midfielder Lauren Milliet were selected from the NC Courage roster by Racing Louisville FC in the 2020 NWSL expansion draft on Thursday evening.

Merrick was selected by the Courage earlier this year in the fourth round of the College Draft, and in her short time with the team, the versatile defender saw a lot of playing time in both the Challenge Cup and Fall Series. 

The Courage has a solid defense with Abby Dahlkemper, Abby Erceg and Merritt Mathias, but with Mathias still recovering from a torn ACL and Jaelene Daniels’ recent retirement, the Courage could have used the depth Merrick provided at fullback. 

Louisville selected Milliet with the seventh pick in the expansion draft. The midfielder was not guaranteed a starting position for the Courage in the next few years, but she is an exciting playmaker and someone Courage head coach Paul Riley has spoken incredibly highly of over the last two years.

Merrick and Milliet were far from shock selections from the Courage’s roster. The Courage’s core is a strong one, but the loss of Merrick and Milliet not only hurts the Courage’s depth, but the two were likely to be the team’s future starters. 

While the pair departing is a big loss for the Courage, this will likely mean a lot more playing time for both Merrick and Milliet. Both are exceptional players and the boost in playing time can only help their development.

The NWSL trade window reopens tomorrow morning, Nov. 13.