CARSON PICKETT: THE GROUNDBREAKING DEFENDER REDEFINING POSSIBILITIES IN PROFESSIONAL SOCCER

Carson Pickett never needed her body to resemble anyone else’s to prove that she belonged on the elite stage of professional soccer. Born without her left forearm and hand, Carson grew up playing soccer in South Carolina before starring at Florida State University. Her raw talent and relentless work ethic led Seattle Reign to select her fourth overall in the 2016 NWSL Draft, launching a distinguished professional career that spans across the United States and Australia.

Her defining international moment arrived on June 28, 2022. At twenty-eight years old, Carson earned a starting spot for the United States Women’s National Team against Colombia, playing the full ninety minutes. With that historic appearance, she became the first player with a limb difference ever to represent the USWNT.

Yet Carson was never on the pitch simply to make history. She earned her place as one of the NWSL’s most formidable defenders, securing back-to-back Best XI honors in 2021 and 2022. Returning to the Orlando Pride during the 2024 season, she helped lead the club through an extraordinary campaign, capturing both the NWSL Shield and the NWSL Championship title.

Ahead of the 2026 season, Carson signed with expansion club Denver Summit FC through 2027, bringing championship experience to the new franchise. Her career has never been about ignoring her limb difference; it has been about proving that it could never limit how far she could go—showing every young athlete that sport belongs to everyone.