Seattle Reign FC is a professional women's soccer team based in Seattle, Washington, that competes in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), the highest level of women's club soccer in the United States. The team was established in 2012 and began play the following year in the inaugual NWSL season at Starfire Sports in Tukwila, Washington.[1] The Reign moved to Memorial Stadium in Seattle for the 2014 season and stayed there until a move in 2019 to Cheney Stadium, a minor league ballpark in Tacoma, that coincided with a rebranding to Reign FC.[2][3] The team was renamed to OL Reign after the French OL Groupe purchased a majority stake later in the year.[4] The team returned to Seattle in 2022 and now plays at Lumen Field, which they share with Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer and the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League.[5] The name reverted to Seattle Reign FC in 2024 ahead of a sale of the team to the Sounders.[1][6]
As of 2024[update], the NWSL regular season has 26 matches and runs from March to October; the team with the most points during the regular season is awarded the NWSL Shield.[7] The top eight teams qualify for the NWSL Playoffs, a postseason tournament that culminates in the NWSL Championship, a single match that has been played at a predetermined host venue since 2015.[8] An in-season cup tournament, the NWSL Challenge Cup, was created in 2020 and included results during the regular season until it was converted into a two-team super cup in 2024.[9][10] The playoffs champion and top two teams in the NWSL Shield standings qualify for the CONCACAF W Champions Cup, a continental championship for women's teams in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean organized by CONCACAF since 2024. The winner of that competition will qualify for the FIFA Women's Club World Cup.[11] An international tournament, named the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup, debuted in 2024 and features teams from Liga MX Femenil, the top women's league in Mexico.[12]
The Reign are among the most successful NWSL teams, with three NWSL Shields and seven playoff appearances in their first eleven seasons.[6] They have not won an NWSL Championship but finished as runners-up on three occasions: in 2014, 2015, and 2023.[9][13] In addition to league honors, the team won the 2022 edition of The Women's Cup, an invitational tournament with international teams.[14] As of the end of the 2024 season, the Reign have played 12 seasons in NWSL that totaled 252 total regular season games with 111 wins, 79 losses, and 62 draws—a winning percentage of 0.563.[15] During the 2023 season, the team had the fourth-highest average attendance among NWSL franchises with 13,609 spectators per regular season match.[16] The Reign set the standalone match attendance record for the NWSL on October 6, 2023, at Lumen Field with 34,130 spectators watching a scoreless draw with the Washington Spirit during the last home regular season match for Megan Rapinoe.[17]
Key
edit- Key to competitions
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Seasons
editSeason | League[15] | Pos.[15] | Playoffs[9][24] | CC[24] | SC[25] | Other | Average attendance[a] |
Top goalscorer(s)[15][b] | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Div | League | Pld | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD | Pts | PPG | Competition | Result | Player(s) | Goals | ||||||
2013 | 1 | NWSL | 22 | 5 | 14 | 3 | 22 | 36 | −14 | 18 | 0.82 | 7th | DNQ | — | — | — | — | 2,306[26] | Megan Rapinoe | 5 |
2014 | 1 | NWSL | 24 | 16 | 2 | 6 | 50 | 20 | +30 | 54 | 2.25 | 1st | RU | — | — | — | — | 3,666[27] | Kim Little | 16 ♦ |
2015 | 1 | NWSL | 20 | 13 | 3 | 4 | 41 | 21 | +20 | 43 | 2.15 | 1st | RU | — | — | — | — | 4,060[28] | Kim Little | 10 |
2016 | 1 | NWSL | 20 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 29 | 21 | +8 | 30 | 1.50 | 5th | DNQ | — | — | — | — | 4,602[29] | Manon Melis | 7 |
2017 | 1 | NWSL | 24 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 43 | 37 | +6 | 34 | 1.42 | 5th | DNQ | — | — | — | — | 4,037[15] | Megan Rapinoe | 12 |
2018 | 1 | NWSL | 24 | 11 | 5 | 8 | 27 | 19 | +8 | 41 | 1.71 | 3rd | SF | — | — | — | — | 3,824[15] | Jodie Taylor | 9 |
2019 | 1 | NWSL | 24 | 10 | 6 | 8 | 27 | 27 | 0 | 38 | 1.58 | 4th | SF | — | — | — | — | 5,213[15] | Bethany Balcer | 6 |
2020 | 1 | NWSL | Regular season and playoffs canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic[30] | QF | — | NWSL Fall Series | 7th[31] | — | — | — | ||||||||||
2021 | 1 | NWSL | 24 | 13 | 8 | 3 | 37 | 24 | +13 | 42 | 1.75 | 2nd | SF | GS | — | — | — | 5,240[15] | Bethany Balcer | 9 |
2022 | 1 | NWSL | 22 | 11 | 4 | 7 | 32 | 19 | +13 | 40 | 1.82 | 1st | SF | SF | — | The Women's Cup | W[14] | 6,204[15] | Megan Rapinoe Bethany Balcer |
7 |
2023 | 1 | NWSL | 22 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 29 | 24 | +5 | 32 | 1.45 | 4th | RU | SF | — | — | — | 13,609[15] | Bethany Balcer | 6 |
2024 | 1 | NWSL | 26 | 6 | 15 | 5 | 27 | 44 | −17 | 23 | 0.88 | 13th | DNQ | DNQ | GS | — | — | 8,503[15] | Bethany Balcer | 5 |
Total (as of 2024)[15] | 252 | 111 | 79 | 62 | 364 | 292 | +72 | 395 | 1.57 | 5,569 | Megan Rapinoe | 51[32] |
Notes
edit- ^ Average attendance is calculated from league matches only and excludes matches played behind closed doors.
- ^ Only includes goals scored during the regular season.
References
edit- ^ a b Evans, Jayda (March 18, 2024). "Sounders reach agreement to purchase Reign FC, OL Groupe announces". The Seattle Times. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
- ^ Evans, Jayda (March 6, 2020). "Reign FC changes its name again, to OL Reign, and has new team colors". The Seattle Times. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
- ^ Bell, Gregg (December 15, 2021). "OL Reign moving pro women's soccer out of Tacoma, back to Seattle to play at Lumen Field". The News Tribune. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
- ^ Evans, Jayda (February 2, 2022). "OL Reign leadership changing as founders Teresa and Bill Predmore step down". The Seattle Times. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
- ^ Pentz, Matt (December 15, 2021). "OL Reign returning to Seattle in 2022, will play at Lumen Field". The Athletic. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
- ^ a b Evans, Jayda (March 16, 2024). "Why Lu Barnes is the 'glue' holding the Reign together, despite changes". The Seattle Times. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
- ^ Hernandez, Victoria (December 7, 2023). "2024 NWSL schedule includes expanded playoffs, break for Paris Olympics". USA Today. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
- ^ Jenkins, Keith (October 30, 2024). "How do the NWSL playoffs work?". ESPN. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
- ^ a b c "Events and Milestones". National Women's Soccer League. March 20, 2024. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
- ^ a b Linehan, Meg (January 25, 2024). "NWSL schedule: Key matchups, Challenge Cup details and how to watch". The Athletic. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
- ^ "Concacaf announces qualification criteria for Confederation's 2024/25 Concacaf W Champions Cup" (Press release). CONCACAF. April 24, 2024. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
- ^ a b Kassouf, Jeff (March 20, 2024). "NWSL, Liga MX women announce Summer Cup tournament". ESPN. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
- ^ Cristobal, Jacob (October 20, 2022). "Seattle's OL Reign made the playoffs. Here's how to root for them". Crosscut.com. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
- ^ a b Kirven, J.L. (August 20, 2022). "Racing Louisville was on its way to Women's Cup title repeat. OL Reign snatched it away". Louisville Courier-Journal. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Seattle Reign FC Stats and History". FBref. Sports Reference. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
- ^ Kline, Alan (March 19, 2024). "Carlyle Group buying U.S. women's professional soccer team from French owner". Washington Business Journal. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
- ^ Anderson, Jason (October 6, 2023). "OL Reign sets standalone NWSL attendance record for Rapinoe farewell game". Pro Soccer Wire. USA Today. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
- ^ Freeman, Clayton (February 9, 2024). "USL Super League earns top-flight soccer status, but Jacksonville kickoff must wait". The Florida Times-Union. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
- ^ "Concacaf announces 1st-ever W Champions Cup". ESPN. March 12, 2024. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
- ^ Linehan, Meg; Yang, Steph (May 15, 2024). "FIFA approves new women's match calendar – what it means for players and leagues". The Athletic. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
- ^ Molinaro, John (March 17, 2022). "Born of necessity in pandemic, NWSL Challenge Cup has become marquee event for women's soccer". CBC Sports. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
- ^ Geary, Molly (August 25, 2020). "NWSL Announces 18-Match Fall Series Beginning in September". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
- ^ "OL Reign get going in second half, beat Louisville for Women's Cup title". The Seattle Times. August 20, 2022. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
- ^ a b Munson, Bella (September 8, 2023). "OL Reign's painful record in knockout games continues". The Equalizer. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
- ^ "NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup Standings". National Women's Soccer League. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
- ^ "Inaugural Season For NWSL Sees Avg. Attendance Below Debuts For WPS, WUSA". Sports Business Journal. August 28, 2013. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
- ^ "NWSL's Year 2 attendance drops 3 percent". Soccer America. August 28, 2014. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
- ^ "Crowd Count: NWSL bucks trend in Year 3". Soccer America. September 10, 2015. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
- ^ "Crowd Count: NWSL attendance jumps 10 percent". Soccer America. September 28, 2016. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
- ^ Goff, Steven (June 26, 2020). "NWSL Challenge Cup opens this weekend, making women's soccer first U.S. team sport back". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
- ^ "NWSL Team Standings – 2020 Fall Series". National Women's Soccer League. Archived from the original on November 30, 2020. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
- ^ "2024 Media Guide". Seattle Reign FC. 2024. p. 107. Retrieved July 19, 2024.