Charlotte North Undergoes Achilles Surgery, Out for Summer

Boston Guard attacker Charlotte North had surgery Monday to repair a torn Achilles tendon and will miss the remainder of the Women’s Lacrosse League season as well as the upcoming World Lacrosse Women’s Championship in Tokyo.

North sustained the injury Saturday during a WLL game against the California Palms in Charlotte, N.C. Late in the fourth quarter, she collapsed to the turf and clutched the back of her right ankle. She had to be helped off the field and could be heard on the ESPN broadcast saying she thought she had injured her Achilles.

“When you love something with all your heart and soul, every once in a while it doesn’t love you back,” North wrote in an Instagram post Tuesday that included pictures of her post-surgery. “Not what was in the plans for this summer, but that is life. I will stop at nothing to get back out there with my teammates.”

The typical recovery timeframe for an athlete undergoing this procedure is six to 12 months. North figured to be the centerpiece of a star-studded U.S. attack in this summer’s world field championship. She also competes for the national team in the sixes and box disciplines.

Among those who commented on her Instagram post were U.S. teammates Anna Brandt, Chloe Humphrey, Ally Kennedy, Marie McCool, Izzy Scane and Madison Taylor, all of whom are currently at USA Lacrosse headquarters for training camp in Sparks, Md.

“Thank you for all of the love and support,” North wrote. “See you all out on the field very soon.”

North is the third-leading scorer in the WLL with six goals and three assists through two games. She won the Golden Stick Award as the top scorer in the WLL Championship Series (sixes) this winter.

A two-time Tewaaraton Award winner at Boston College who ranks second in NCAA Division I history with 358 career goals, North made her national team debut in 2021 and was the United States’ leading scorer with 23 goals in the 2022 World Lacrosse Women’s Championship. She also led the inaugural U.S. Women’s Box National Team aka Team One with 25 goals en route to another gold medal in 2024. Last year, she played internationally in both the field and sixes disciplines, helping the U.S. win gold medals in the Pan-American Women’s Lacrosse Championship and at The World Games 2025 in China.

North remains a marquee figure in the sport. She’s a color analyst for ESPN’s coverage of college women’s lacrosse and has more than 160,000 followers across her social media platforms.