— Two days before the NWSL College Draft in Philadelphia, the North Carolina Courage and Washington Spirit did a bit of bombshell business. The Courage have acquired the player rights to U.S. national team member Crystal Dunn, also former UNC Tar Heels standout, plus an international roster spot from the Washington Spirit.

In exchange, the Spirit acquire fellow U.S. national teamer Taylor Smith and 2017 NWSL Rookie of the Year Ashley Hatch from the Courage.

Dunn, who is currently training with the U.S. national team in California, says that while she had some knowledge that she might be dealt to another NWSL team, she didn’t know until late in the process that it would be to the Courage, winners of last year’s NWSL Supporters Shield.

“I’m really excited to go to a team that’s been successful,” Dunn says. “They’ve been a very strong side for a while now, and that helps me fit right in. It’s not a team that needs a lot of rebuilding, so I think it’s nice to go to a team that has a solid foundation.”

Courage manager Paul Riley, who coached Dunn when she was playing youth soccer in New York State, says this deal came together over the last 48 yours. He says Dunn will join the Courage in time for preseason training camp.

“[Dunn’s] just a game-changer,” Riley says. “I don’t think there are many game-changers in the league. You look at what everybody’s got, and the thought of Crystal Dunn and Lynn Williams playing up front together has got to scare some people.”

The 25-year-old Dunn has 57 caps with the USWNT, scoring 22 goals over that span. As a Tar Heel, Dunn was a member of the 2012 NCAA Women’s Soccer Championship team and won the MAC Hermann Trophy as the top college women’s soccer player in 2012. She was drafted by the Spirit in 2014 and won the NWSL Most Valuable Player and Golden Boot awards in 2015. Dunn signed with the Chelsea L.F.C. last year, skipping the 2017 NWSL campaign.

“We’re getting a top-flight international, and I think an international who needs some help, needs a different environment,” Riley says. “She needs to come back to the NWSL to further her national team career. The environment [with the Courage] will be really good for her. Crystal will be comfortable coming in.”

Hatch, the second pick in the 2017 NWSL Draft out of BYU, scored seven goals plus one assist in her debut professional season on her way to winning the NWSL Rookie of the Year. She finished second on the Courage in scoring behind Lynn Williams’ nine goals. Hatch is at USWNT U-23 camp now, and she made her senior national team debut for the United States last October in a friendly match against Switzerland.

The 24-year-old Smith’s meteoric rise began as an undrafted free agent signee by the Western New York Flash in 2016 and culminated last season with the converted fullback earning a recurring call-up to the U.S. national team. She was arguably the most improved player in the NWSL last year.

While Riley says this move improves the Courage, his extended telephone calls with Smith and Hatch yesterday evening to inform them of this trade were among the toughest he’s made in his coaching career.

“People always say this is the business side [of soccer], but the business side can be tough at times,” Riley says. “This one was really tough on me, and I’m sure tough on [Smith and Hatch], too.”

This is a club-defining trade for both the Courage and Spirit. The Courage acquire a bona fide soccer superstar who gives the team added punch on and off the pitch. Dunn can play forward, winger, and even fullback, when needed. The Spirit acquire two national team-quality players to complement Mallory Pugh and the Spirit’s number one pick in this week’s draft, widely expected to be Stanford standout and national teamer Andi Sullivan.

Indeed, while the Courage get one of the best players in the world, this trade is also motivated by which teams aren’t now able to snag her services.

“We’ve been eyeing Crystal for a long time and thinking what she could bring to us, so we know the caliber of player she is” Riley says. “There’s a couple of ways of looking at this, too—if we don’t get her, who gets her? Is it Chicago and then she’s up front with [Christen] Press? Is it Portland and then she’s up front with [Christine] Sinclair?”

Riley says the international spot acquired in this trade enables the team retain its four internationals: Abby Erceg, Debinha, Denise O’Sullivan, and Yuri Kawamura, who is aiming to return from a season-ending injury suffered early last year. Riley also believes the team is close to finalizing a move in bring in a new fullback.

Like many American women’s soccer standouts, WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary is a familiar setting for Dunn, spanning from her time at UNC to the USWNT’s friendly against South Korea last October in Cary. However, she admits she has a lot to learn about the Courage setup and how she might best contribute to the team.

“It’s about stepping into an environment where I’m going to take in a lot of information at first, and then it’s up to Paul [Riley] to put me where I’m best going to serve the team,” Dunn says. “Ideally, I’m more a wide, attacking player. I have no idea where Paul sees me and where he wants to play me—that’s a discussion him and I are going to have to have in the near future. But he’s definitely a manager who brings out the best in players, and I think he’ll find the best position for me to help the team perform.”