Carter has been described by Jonathan Liew as calm in possession, relatively error-free, and with "exceptional read of the game".[7] According to The Independent, she is "one of the best one-on-one defenders in the Women's Super League".[41]
Early in her career from 2013–2018, Carter begun as a defender and midfielder for Birmingham City,[2] and in 2014, she played as a forward with England under-19s and under-20s.[25][28] With Chelsea, she started as a full-back in 2018 before becoming a centre-back. A right footed and versatile defender,[2][41] Carter has played both left-back and right-back for England and Chelsea,[14] but prefers not to play on the left. She believes her skills are best used as part of a back-three formation.