Charlotte North knew firsthand how much work had gone into making the inaugural Boston Guard game a reality. 

She was in the meetings with Premier Lacrosse League officials working to create the Maybelline Women’s Lacrosse League. She was at the official announcement in New York City, appearing on ESPN morning television shows and ringing the Nasdaq Stock Market Closing Bell. She was a team captain who had been working with the coaching staff to prepare for the 2025 Maybelline Championship Series.

After all the meetings and planning, however, she said she was just itching to get on the field with her teammates.

“We were there to get better every day,” she said. “We weren’t really focused on the external factors as much as we were on each other spending that time together, building relationships, and building a culture that we wanted to have on this team and in this organization because we are the first-ever Boston Guard team, and that’s important. It means a lot.”

Boston lost its first game of the Maybelline Championship Series, 16-15 to the California Palms, but that didn't deter North. She said she knew the Guard team that played in the first game was not going to be the same team at the end of the tournament. She also knew the crowds would be even more energetic by the weekend, when she hoped her team would be playing at its best.

It was another example of why no one should ever doubt North.

Not only did she earn a spot on the All-Tournament Team and help Boston win the first-ever Maybelline WLL Championship Series title, she also was the center of attention from all the fans at The St. James, which Guard head coach Laurie DeLuca called “The Charlotte North Effect.”

“After our game is over, kids are waiting 20 minutes for her to sign an autograph, sign a shirt, and God bless her, she is the ultimate team player,” DeLuca said. “She is taking her personal time and doing that for the growth of the sport to make an impact on a young child’s life. I’m just in awe.”

North and the Guard had a big day on Saturday. After beating the Maryland Charm two days prior, the team went up against the New York Charging with the top seed in the playoffs and a bye into the finals on the line. She scored three goals and added two assists as Boston defeated New York 20-18.

Waiting in the hallway outside of the locker room was a horde of fans looking to score a North autograph or selfie. In a clip that went viral on social media, North was engulfed by fans. Instead of going down a line signing autographs as one might see PLL players do post-game, North, completely surrounded, just turned in a circle, signing whatever was handed to her, not making a dent in the number of people around her.

The Charlotte North Effect 📸 pic.twitter.com/ii7a9Vj7Aa

— Boston Guard (@wllguard) February 15, 2025

The scene was so chaotic, the building had to call the fire marshal to clear the area. North took it all in stride, however, and enjoyed getting to interact with so many fans. She really tried to make connections, asking the fans where they were from, what team they played for, what they liked about the Maybelline WLL, and if they were going to come back for Monday’s championship game.

“We were just so grateful that all of those girls and families and young boys and teens, anybody that bought a ticket and came to watch us play on that doubleheader day,” she said, “to see how excited they were to watch the best players in the world compete, it inspires us right back. It motivates us to continue to be our best and give everything we have to being a better athlete, to being a better teammate, to being a better leader and to show those girls what it looks like to be a professional lacrosse player.”

That level of popularity prompted several people, including ESPN broadcaster Jay Alter, to draw comparisons between North and WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark. A former basketball player herself – North graduated from Episcopal School of Dallas as the school’s all-time points leader in basketball – she said she loves to watch Clark play.

While North said she believed the spotlight shined on the talent of all the players in the Maybelline WLL, she did say that Clark is an inspiration for all athletes of all genders around the world, including herself.

“[Clark] is incredible at leading and using her platform to change the game for good and to change the way people view female professionals,” she said. “As a female athlete, we want to push the envelope. We want this to be one of the biggest professional leagues in the world. We want the professional women’s players who come after us to have it even better than we had it. That’s important to us.”

The crowds continued to show up for both the semifinals – where the Charging beat the Palms to set up a rematch of the final game from the round robin – and the title game. North knew the fans at the title game were in for a treat, even if it meant the Guard were going to be in for a fight, because she said the Charging had such an “insanely talented and deep roster built for Sixes.”

When the public address announcer introduced both teams, it was clear that Boston got a louder pop from the crowd. North helped send the crowd home happy as she contributed four goals and one assist in Boston’s 22-17 victory over New York.

In four games, she finished with 19 points (15G, 4A) and finished third in the Golden Stick Award rankings.

Charging captain Izzy Scane couldn’t help but heap praise on North, even after defeat.

“It’s cool to have someone represent the sport so well,” she said. “In terms of games, you never have a discussion game planning without her name in your mouth. So, it’s kind of hard when, you know, someone on the field has that much of an impact, that much of a great presence and player on the field, so it’s definitely something we had to focus on.”

With the victory, North capped off a historic six months; in addition to the Guard’s championship, she also helped the Team One USA Women’s Box Lacrosse team win the first-ever Women’s World Box Lacrosse Championship title. Upon reflection, she said she was just so grateful to be surrounded by her teammates, opponents and females who work for the league, calling them all inspiring role models.

She also thanked the players that came before her – including Taylor Cummings Danseglio, Kayla Treanor, Dana Dobbie and Jenn Adams – who “pushed the limits and used their platform to speak about what they believed this sport could do and what these athletes deserved.” North said it was no coincidence that the league and its players shined so brightly.

She said she believes the Maybelline Women’s Lacrosse League can be one of the biggest leagues not just in women’s sports but in all sports around the world.

“When given the resources and the opportunity, and when given the stage and the platform, not being given some of that and some of those categories,” she said, “when being given all of those and being given them in a way that really shows care and dedication and belief in the product and the athletes, the play will speak for itself.”