By Mark Bergin, WRAL senior multiplatform producer

Cary, N.C. —

Kerolin Nicoli

Kerolin Nicoli is leaving the North Carolina Courage.

The 2023 NWSL MVP informed the club she intends to pursue free agency, according to a post on the team’s Facebok page. Kerolin became the first South American to win the league’s MVP award.

Kerolin, 25, has played for the NC Courage since 2022. In three seasons, she played in 37 games, scoring 17 goals and had seven assists. During her MVP season, she played in 19 games and scored 10 goals.

The forward won a silver medal playing for Brazil at the 2024 Summer Olympics. She scored one goal in the tournament, the last in Brazil’s 4-2 defeat of Spain in the semifinals. However, she missed the final loss to the United States.

In October 2023, the Courage put Kerolin on the season-ending injury list after she tore her right ACL in the club’s regular-season finale. She returned late in the 2024 season, playing in five games (two starts) for the Courage, which lost in the first round of the NWSL playoffs. She scored one goal.

Kerolin played the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, where Brazil fell in the group stage.

Kerolin signed a three-year deal with the Courage in January 2022.

The Courage signed All-America defender Brooklyn Courtnall out of Southern California in December and traded for U.S. national team and San Diego Wave midfielder Jaedyn Shaw earlier this week.

The NWSL season begins in March.

Source: wralsportsfan.com