Victoria Serena Pickett (born August 12, 1996) is a Canadian professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for North Carolina Courage of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and the Canada national team.
_061_(cropped).jpg) Pickett with the North Carolina Courage in 2024 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Victoria Serena Pickett[1] | ||
| Date of birth | August 12, 1996 | ||
| Place of birth | Newmarket, Ontario, Canada | ||
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | North Carolina Courage | ||
| Number | 94 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2000–2008 | Barrie SC | ||
| 2008–2015 | Glen Shields SC | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2015–2020 | Wisconsin Badgers | 57 | (5) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2017 | Aurora FC | 8 | (2) |
| 2021–2022 | Kansas City Current | 35 | (1) |
| 2022–2023 | NJ/NY Gotham FC | 10 | (0) |
| 2023– | North Carolina Courage | 24 | (1) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2012 | Canada U17 | 3 | (0) |
| 2013–2016 | Canada U20 | 9 | (0) |
| 2015 | Canada U23 | 2 | (0) |
| 2021– | Canada | 3 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of June 29, 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of July 15, 2022 | |||
Early life
Pickett started playing soccer at age four with Barrie SC.[2] When she was 13, she joined Glen Shields SC.[3] She was named the Barrie Sports Athlete of the Year in 2015.[4]
College career
She played college soccer for the Wisconsin Badgers. In 2018, Pickett made the women's semifinalist list for the Hermann Trophy, an annual award for college soccer players.[5] In 2019, she suffered a serious knee injury, tearing five ligaments, keeping her out of action until 2021.[6] Despite the knee injury in 2019, Pickett appeared in 57 games across her college career, scoring 5 goals and providing 11 assists.[7]
Club career
Aurora FC, 2017
In 2017, Pickett played for Aurora FC in League1 Ontario, scoring in her debut against West Ottawa SC.[8] She finished the season with two goals in eight appearances.[9]
Kansas City Current, 2021–2022
Pickett was drafted 15th overall by Kansas City in the 2021 NWSL Draft.[10] In March, she signed her first professional contract, signing a three year contract with Kansas City.[11] She scored her first goal on August 14, 2021, to lead her team to a 1-0 victory over the OL Reign, for the franchise's first ever NWSL victory.[12] She was nominated for the NWSL Rookie of the Year Award in 2021.[13][14]
NJ/NY Gotham FC, 2022–2023
On August 22, 2022, the Kansas City Current traded Pickett to NJ/NY Gotham FC in exchange for $200,000 in allocation money and a first-round draft pick in the 2023 NWSL Draft.[15]
North Carolina Courage, 2023–
On April 27, 2023, NJ/NY Gotham FC traded Pickett to the North Carolina Courage in exchange for $200,000 in allocation money.[16] She scored her second NWSL regular-season goal on her debut for the Courage on May 6, 2023, in a 3–3 draw against the Portland Thorns.[17]
International career
When Pickett was 15 years old, she entered the Canadian youth program. She participated in the Women's Under 17 Championships at the 2012 Confederation of North, Central America, and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), where she helped Canada win a silver medal.[18]
In 2015, Pickett scored the deciding goal for Canada during the CONCACAF U-20 championship.[19]
Pickett played as a defender for Canada in the 2015 Pan Am Games.[20][21]