When thinking about impressive seasons in the NWSL, the North Carolina Courage’s Kristen Hamilton is one of the first names that comes to mind for most.

Hamilton has scored a team-leading eight goals for the Courage this season, three of those tallies coming from her first career hat trick against the Orlando Pride on June 1. But that impressive performance wasn’t an outlier, rather serving as a sign of things to come. Another four goals came from her record-breaking performance during the July 5 match against the Houston Dash, as she tied the league record for most goals scored in a single game.

In addition to her significant contribution to the team goal-wise, Hamilton also has three assists on the season to three different teammates. As one would expect, the accolades have followed: three NWSL Player of the Week nods and NWSL Player of the Month honors for performance in July.

Hamilton’s NWSL career has been a unique one that tells a story of patience and continued improvement. Coming out of the University of Denver, she was the last draft pick in the 2014 NWSL Draft and had to sit out the season due to injury. The following year, Hamilton was able to make two appearances for the New York Flash during the 2015 season, and then played in 12 games for a total of 125 minutes during the 2016 season when the Flash secured the NWSL Championship.

When the Flash relocated to North Carolina and became the NC Courage, Hamilton made her presence on the team known when she played in 13 out of 18 games for a total of 1,191 minutes, scoring three goals and recording one assist for in 2017 season. She assisted the team in getting to the NWSL Championship and was brought on in the semi-finals as a substitute before starting in the finals.

The following season only saw an increase in continued success for Hamilton, who managed to score three goals and dish out four assists in 2018. She once again was an important component of the Courage’s season, helping lead them deep into the playoffs. Hamilton came on as a second-half sub in both the semi-finals and the finals, as the Courage became the 2018 NWSL Champions, defeating Portland Thorns FC 3-0 in a rematch of the previous year’s title match.

The 2019 season has only brought on positive results for Hamilton, who is no stranger to success at this point in her career. As one of the most valuable players to the Courage’s front line, she has continuously stepped up in a season where many of her teammates have had to depart for international duty. In doing so, Hamilton has shown that perseverance can lead to success.