The North Carolina Courage are multi-year champions of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), the highest division of women’s professional soccer in the United States. Formerly the Western New York Flash, Steve Malik relocated the team to North Carolina in 2017 and named the team the North Carolina Courage, giving a nod to the Carolina Courage of the WPS, the first professional women’s soccer team in the state. The team defeated the Portland Thorns 3-0 to become the 2018 NWSL Champions. The team then beat the Chicago Red Stars 4-0 to win back-to-back titles. The team has won three-consecutive NWSL Shields and also won the 2018 Women’s International Champions Cup. On January 22, 2021, tennis superstar Naomi Osaka was named an owner of the team.