The Orlando Pride drafted Courtney Petersen with the seventh overall pick of the 2020 NWSL College Draft. The left back out of Virginia seemed destined to be a mainstay on the Pride’s back line after appearing in all four 2020 NWSL Fall Series games and then playing 22 games (with 21 starts) with Orlando in the 2021 regular season.
But after going the full 90 in the Pride’s first nine consecutive competitive matches to start the 2022 season, Petersen began to fall out of favor a bit. As the season wore on, she lost her starting left back position and was used more often as a sub and went three straight games in August without getting on the field at all.