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The North Carolina Courage have been one of the standout teams this season, with much of August's strong run fueled by the breakout performances of Swedish international Evelyn Ijeh. During the final weeks of summer, the forward tallied four goals and one assist, highlighted by a brace against title challenger Washington Spirit.
On the cusp of August, on July 31, she made history as the first Swedish player in NWSL history to net a hat trick, doing so against the Orlando Pride. By the close of the month, her tally stood at 11 goals — tied for third-most by a European player in a single NWSL season, behind Kim Little (16; 2014) and Esther González (13; '25), and level with Jodie Taylor (11; '14).
So what is fueling the NWSL newcomer's remarkable campaign? It comes down to striking a balance between her ambitions and her life away from the pitch.
"Coming to a new league, coming to a new country, of course, it's not always an easy task," Ijeh says. "You just try to get through it, but coming to North Carolina, they made it a nice and welcoming environment for me."
Ijeh spent 2024 and '25 in Italy with Serie A club AC Milan, where she thrived — registering 12 goals and six assists in the 2024-25 campaign and finishing third in the Golden Boot standings.
Settling into the NWSL has required considerable effort, but it's proven to be a setting where Ijeh has truly elevated her game. The league's reputation for relentless intensity was, in fact, a key factor in her decision to cross the Atlantic and join the competition.
"There are a lot of great, talented players in this league, which is a great challenge," Ijeh says. "I've always heard that the NWSL is a really high-intensity league in the way that they play, which is something I wanted to add to my game."
Alongside strike partner Ashley Sanchez, Ijeh helped the duo combine for 26 goals through the end of August, matching the NWSL record for goals scored by a pair of teammates.
"Ashley is a really talented player and having that connection with her on the pitch is really like magic," Ijeh says. "It has been a great thing for both ourselves and our club as well, being able to contribute as much as possible as we can together as a team. I've seen some people call us Batman and Robin!"
The Courage currently occupy ninth place in the NWSL standings, just a single point outside the playoff positions. With only four games remaining, it will take a collective effort from the entire squad to push themselves into postseason contention.
"Football is a team performance, so everyone has a way of contributing one way or another," Ijeh says. "I think just the way we are as a team, the way we talk to each other and respect each other, we want to always get better every day. We're called the Courage for a reason!"
Jenna Tonelli is a writer for Sports Illustrated Soccer. She is passionate about women's soccer, particularly the NWSL, USWNT, and the Italian women's national team. When not thinking about soccer, Jenna can be found drinking iced coffee and rooting for the Buffalo Bills.