NC Courage fans gear up for record-breaking attendance at Sunday’s final game this 2025 season
CARY, N.C. (WTVD) — NC Courage fans are preparing for Sunday’s sold-out game, which is expected to set a new attendance record for professional women’s sports in North Carolina.
ABC11 News spoke with team members ahead of the final matchup of the season.
You can watch NC Courage take on Gotham FC at 5 p.m. on ESPN.
“We know it’s on the line. Obviously, we’re sitting in ninth place, and we’ve been there for a little while now,” defender Kaleigh Kurtz said. ” So, if we can get into eighth and get into playoffs, that’s going to be huge for us.”
A win, combined with a tie or loss by rival Louisville, would secure a playoff spot for the Courage. Despite the ups and downs of the season, the team has felt strong support from the community.
“We’ve had a couple of records from an attendance perspective that that we broke this season, the community starting to get behind the team in a big way,” Ralph Vuono, NC Courage COO, said. “And what’s coming together on Sunday is kind of, all that coming together, for what we anticipate to be a record-breaking night.”
The outcome of this game won’t diminish the growing excitement around women’s professional sports in the Triangle. Kurtz, who has been with the team since 2018, is aiming to earn the title of “Iron Woman” for the fourth consecutive year. The NWSL’s Iron Woman honor recognizes players who play every minute of the season for their club.
“Having the crowd behind us and cheering for us just gives us that extra boost,” she said. “If it’s the 90th minute and it’s tied 0-0 and we need to get that go-ahead goal, then that extra energy really helps lift us up because we are usually tired at the 90th minute.”
The defender is hoping this won’t be her last game of the season.
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