The match went to halftime early with three minutes remaining in stoppage time. It was later suspended and will be resumed at a date to be determined, from the time of suspension.

“The decision was made in consultation with match officials, medical personnel, and both clubs. Out of respect for the seriousness of the situation and in the best interests of players and staff, the match was abandoned,” the NWSL said in a statement provided to The Equalizer.

As first-half stoppage time began, DeMelo knelt to the ground and then sat down, looking dazed before losing consciousness. Both teams’ medical personnel reacted quickly and soon called for the EMTs. An ambulance was driven out onto the field, which DeMelo was eventually loaded into on a stretcher.

The league received heavy backlash and the Players’ Association called for a league policy change earlier in May for not suspending the game between Angel City and Utah Royals after Savy King suffered a cardiac episode on the field. The players were made to play the rest of the game despite agreeing it should have been suspended.

Sunday’s match marked the first time in league history that a game was suspended because of a medical incident.

Louisville’s players and coaches were visibly shaken in the immediate aftermath of the incident. Head coaches Laura Harvey and Bev Yanez could be seen discussing while DeMelo received medical attention before Harvey motioned to her team that they’d be going to halftime early. Reign players came back out onto the field after the suspension was announced to show appreciation for the fans, looking visibly emotional. Fans continued to mill about the stadium, looking somewhat confused after the suspension was announced over the speakers.

This is the second time this season that DeMelo left an NWSL match on a stretcher. In a March 22 game against Bay FC, DeMelo was stretchered off the pitch late in the first half. During that game, Racing Louisville said DeMelo was taken to the hospital “for a precautionary evaluation after experiencing lightheadedness during the first half.” She said about that incident that her heart rate wasn’t slowing, and she struggled to breathe for about three minutes. In May, DeMelo spoke to ESPN about being diagnosed with Graves’ disease and hyperthyroidism last fall.

The NWSL Players Association released a statement on Monday morning that said: “Our hearts are with Savannah DeMelo and her family following last night’s game. Her health and well-being remain our top priority, and we are relieved she is receiving the medical attention she needs. Postponing the match was the right decision, as nothing is more important than the safety of Players and staff on the field. This is a challenging time for all those affected, and we ask for continued respect of everyone’s privacy.”

This post was updated to include the statement from the Players Association.

The playoff field has its first confirmed guest, and transfer rumors are swirling over Angel City. Meanwhile, the Sphere of Mediocrity grows ever larger.

Here’s how they shape up after most of Week 18:

Cream of the Crop

x-Kansas City Current (15-2-1, 46 pts; vs Courage, 2-0):  Temwa Chawinga did not score against the North Carolina Courage, but neither did the Courage. That leaves Chawinga with 11 goals while the Current have conceded only 10. Kayla Sharples continues to stay in the discussion for Defender of the Year, and even as it has taken Ally Sentnor some time to fully integrate into the attack, the defense has become a well-oiled machine, and the win over the Courage made the Current the first team to secure an official invite to the 2025 playoffs. The only bad news is that Esther Gonzalez scored for Gotham to edge ahead of Chawinga in the Golden Boot race.

The Most Valuable Player debates in the National Women’s Soccer League can often be contentious, with much debate over what should quantify a most valuable player. Could continue to perform without that player? When they do, does that hurt said player’s chances? For lesser teams, does an MVP need to go above and beyond to put themselves in the conversation?

That a team could perform well without a certain player doesn’t mean that player isn’t valuable, of course. Maybe that team has a great coach, or had a GM that build a great roster. Regardless, whether or not a team is good—and could do well without them—shouldn’t discount a player’s chances at MVP. Oftentimes, a player is great because of the teammates they have around

It is possible that the forward immediately starts scoring goals left and right (and headed), but the team’s focus is on the future.

“We’re invested in Mia for the long term,” Reign head coach Laura Harvey told media at Fishel’s introductory presser on July 10. “If she can hit the ground running and come in and be unbelievable from day one, great. But I think we know, one, she’s on a journey. Two… Mia’s potential is so high, and now it’s about the journey of getting it where we all believe it can be. And that’s why the investment is not just about tomorrow. It’s about the long term and showing up for what that looks like.”

They also don’t need Fishel to immediately make up for lackluster scoring. Right now, the Reign’s existing attacking unit is playing their best soccer of the season when the NWSL last played matches. In the first 10 games of the season, the Reign only scored multiple goals once. In their last three games, they scored a total of eight goals, recording three consecutive multi-goal games. 

Amid this low-pressure approach, Fishel’s integration into the team has been going well.

Since joining the team in early July, Fishel has quickly found comfort off the field and made friends off the field. An avid fisher, it didn’t take Fishel long to connect with fellow teammates, making plans to enjoy some of the great fishing and crabbing that Seattle has to offer.

Veteran midfielder Jess Fishlock admitted that she’d only been around Fishel for a week, but commended her great personality and joked to The Equalizer that she finds it interesting that Fishel has terrible table tennis form but somehow still wins.

Outside of fitting in well with the overall group environment, Fishel is also surrounded by familiar faces. Harvey was her coach with the U-20s, where she also played with several current teammates. Her existing relationship and experience with Harvey were a big reason she signed with Seattle in the first place.

“When it comes to [Harvey’s] coaching style, the way that she coaches, it brought the best out of me,” Fishel told media at her introductory press conference. “And I knew that immediately with the short time I had with her. And she gave me the confidence to be my absolute best. And that definitely intrigued me to come to Seattle.”

Some teammates she has known even longer, like midfielder Sam Meza, with whom she has played with since the U-15 USWNT level. Meza was very excited when she heard Fishel was joining the Reign and has since been impressed with her return from injury and contributions to the team.

“She’s done really, really well,” Meza said of Fishel’s integration. “I think coming back from injury, it’s definitely a process. And I think she’s doing really well within that process. She’s been super positive and really just a light since being here. I’m super excited for her. I think she is super talented, and I think she can really help us in the attack.”

On the field, she is developing the relationships and understandings that will be key to her success.

“I think when you play as a forward, to understand the tendencies of the people around you is the thing that can be the key ingredient for a forward to be successful or not,” Harvey explained.

In the two friendlies Seattle played in July during the break in NWSL play, Fishel played 30 minutes in the first game against Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds and then 45 minutes against the Thorns in Portland.

“Even in that sort of week of training between the first game [against Urawa], the second game [against Portland], and then how she executed in the second game, you can see she’s starting to understand people’s tendencies and what each other wants within the team,” Harvey told The Equalizer on Tuesday. “But that takes time. You know, it’s hard to be able to do that overnight. And Mia is definitely someone who needs to understand what other people are doing to get the best out of her strengths as well.”

Seattle only returned the last of their European players this week, and their players who were called up in the previous international window were given a break before returning to the team, so Fishel is just this week integrating with the last of her teammates.

“We haven’t had a chance yet to play everybody. I think she and Lynn, and the partnership that they can create, will be interesting,” Harvey said. “I think that’s just the next stage of it is getting back into these games that we’ve got thick and fast, and seeing what works with the team that we have now.”

Despite the limited amount of time she has had with the full team so far, her potential impact has been evident.

“I can absolutely see on the training field what she’s going to bring, what she’s going to add,” Fishlock told The Equalizer at practice on Tuesday. “I’m super excited to get on the field and link up with her. Just going to add a different dynamic to our group and our team. And that’s kind of what we need to do, is just keep adding those little tiny parts.”

Combination of young stars and veteran wisdom = Reign attacking success in June

One thing helping take pressure off of Fishel is the Reign’s relatively recent success scoring in league play. Right before the summer break, a team that was desperately struggling to score to start the season found its goalscoring form.

They started their June road trip with a 2-1 victory over San Diego, came back to tie Chicago 2-2 and then rolled over the Royals 4-1 in Utah.

What inspired the team’s improved goalscoring form? Young attackers Maddie Dahlien and Emeri Adames said it is a combination of increased confidence, the team gelling over time, and a hunger.

“We’ve just been telling each other, like, ‘shoot, get something on the ball,’” Adames said after defeating Utah. “But I also think there’s a hunger that we didn’t have at the beginning of the season that we do now, in like, we can beat these teams by multiple goals. We don’t have to just score one goal a game. We can get into our attacking third and really attack them. So I think that’s what changed.”

“I think it’s like getting into a gel with the relationships on the field. I think that we’re all finding a rhythm with each other,” Dahlien added. “And I think it really showed like with Ji [So-Yun] and Emeri and me and Lynn [Biyendolo] today, like we are figuring out each other’s tendencies and where each other like to be.”

Harvey agreed with her young stars and added that she thinks there is a renewed belief in the group that combines with their constant desire to get better.

“I’ve never worked with a group that, when adversity comes or things don’t quite go our way, they want to solve it immediately,” Harvey said. “They don’t want to leave things to chance. They don’t want to talk about it in their little silos. They want to come in the room collectively and go, ‘okay, this happened to us, we need to solve it.’ And I think that as long as we can keep that mentality and keep adding quality as we go to our play, we will be okay.”

One player who has helped fuel that belief is veteran USWNT and NWSL forward Lynn Biyendolo. Though Biyendolo didn’t register an official assist or goal on the stat sheet, she had three hockey assists against Utah.

“I think that just speaks to her impact,” Dahlien said. “She draws in three defenders, and then that leaves me and people on the other side open. I think people respect her so much as a player, so sometimes she’s not going to be available to get her shot off, but it’s her dishing the next pass and then finding the next free player. And her impact has been immense, not only on the field, but as a leader off the field. And so I don’t think really you can measure her impact here.”

That Biyendolo trusts her young teammates in those moments, Adames said, instills confidence in them.

“That she trusts us so much to give us the ball in those scenarios, and to trust us that we’ll be there when she plays the ball, I think that means a lot,” Adames said.

The NWSL’s all-time leading goalscorer (tied with Sam Kerr) also leads by example.

“She’s involved in all the good things that we do, and she’s that sort of pinnacle up there that has that experience, that understands what it takes to win in this league,” Harvey praised. “So, without someone like her in the forefront of it, I think the young ones would be looking for someone to work off. And thankfully, having Lynn means that they have that sort of stalwart up there who sets the tone for them all the time.”

Following Biyendolo’s example, young players like Adames have also improved their individual performances to contribute to the whole. Adames capped off a stellar June where she scored three goals and became the second youngest player to score a brace in the NWSL (behind only Mallory Swanson), named to the Team of the Month Best XI.

To begin the season, Adames’ playing time was sporadic and limited. A month or so before the game in Utah, Harvey had a conversation with Adames about what she needed to do to get more playing time. Defense was what was keeping Adames off the pitch. In June, her improved effort on the defensive end paid off.

“Being committed to the defensive side of the game is what she needs to do,” Harvey explained. “Because we know how good she is going forward. We know it. But we’re a team, and we play in a league where you can’t carry someone who doesn’t execute defensively. And [now] she’s executing defensively, and she’s getting the reward for that. … Now she’s set her own standard that we know she can do on both sides of the ball. So it’s the challenge for her now to stay in that standard and keep pushing forward from there.”

Roster competition

Right now, Seattle’s attacking options are plentiful. Dahlien has played every game of her rookie season, Adames is in form, Biyendolo is an all-time great goalscorer, five-foot-11 Jordyn Huitema is always a threat on set pieces, Nérilia Mondésir is healthy and finding her footing in the NWSL and Maddie Mercado has been impressive and energetic in her minutes. That doesn’t even take into account the legendary attacking midfielders they have back and healthy in Fishlock and Ji So-Yun. That sort of depth exists at nearly every position on the field for Seattle.

“I think the thing that we have now, which I’m really excited about and makes my job really hard, is our one to 26 is very competitive,” Harvey told The Equalizer. “I’m not sure I’ve had a roster one to 26 that’s as competitive as — I may have had a more talented maybe at times, 2021 was a highly talented roster. But just how competitive it is between the whole 26, I’ve never really felt that, ever, I don’t think, but for a very long time. Which makes my job hard, but also exciting, because we have loads of options.”

The depth helps take pressure off of Fishel, but it also breeds an ideal kind of competition. Fishel said she wanted to join a team that would push her in training every day, and this roster fits that bill.

“I think that that really helps with competition and I think that’s another reason why we’re on a good momentum shift,” Harvey said. “Because I think everyone knows and believes that they’ve got a chance to play. If they play well they play, and if someone’s playing better than them, then they might lose their spot. … I think that that’s been a really good positive thing for us that we need to take into the second half of season. …

“With where the team is I don’t think there’s pressure for her to be [amazing from day one] which is great. It’s ideally what you want. We’re not bringing her in to be the hero today. We’re bringing her in because we think that she’s got short term and long term value to this team, and the more we can expose her, the better that will be.”

Depth will also be key going into this stretch of the season, where the team will play 12 games in 12 weeks.

“I think we’ve got players who can step in or in every single position, which you know is great, as long as the players all buy into that, and right now they are,” Harvey said. “It’s unrealistic to think you’re going to play the same starting 11 every week, with the travel and the days between the games. So having a really competitive roster that can go out and perform depending on opponent, depending on where we are, depending on what travel and recovery we’ve had, is a luxury I don’t think I’ve really had before.”

Returning to full capacity after ACL injury

Fishel is still technically returning from tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee while training for the 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup. She had been cleared to play since January, but didn’t make her return to play for Chelsea until March. Though the injury was tough and derailed her professional and international career, Fishel said she learned a lot from the experience.

“I learned so much about being professional and taking care of your body, strengthening it. And I feel like me as a player is night and day. I’m quicker, I’m stronger, [and] I’m mentally stronger as well,” Fishel said.

Now, Fishel and her knee are feeling good as they continue to grow her fitness and get her back to being fully fit. Though Fishel isn’t on a strict minutes restriction, Harvey said they are cognizant of being smart about her playing time. She played 30 minutes and then 45 minutes in friendlies, and that kind of minutes distribution is likely to continue at least to start the second half of the season.

“How much we can get out of her quickly isn’t the priority, right?” Harvey told The Equalizer. “We’re invested in Mia long term, so whatever we get out of her in the next 12 games, in this crazy stretch we have — bonus. If that’s 30 minutes here, 45 minutes there, 90 minutes as we get going, great. But there’s just no expectation. I think we’ve just got to drip feed her in, and I think that’ll be the best way.”

What Fishel brings to Seattle

There are many visibly evident talents that Fishel is bringing to the Reign. 

Fishel’s goalscoring prowess is easy to point out and get excited about. The attacker was the Mexican league’s top scorer in the 2022 Apertura (fall) season with 17 goals in 17 appearances, making her the first foreign player to win Liga MX Femenil Golden Boot, as Tigres won the title, and she added another 13 goals in the 2023 Clausura (spring) before her move to Chelsea. In her time at UCLA, from 2019 to 2021, Fishel scored 32 goals and added 14 assists in 59 appearances for the Bruins.

“What I’ve observed with Mia is a uniqueness in ability to finish,” general manager Lesle Gallimore said after introducing Fishel to Seattle media. “To be that person and to want that on you is unique in our game. And those are the type of players you’re always looking for, the ones that want it on them all the time. And even as a young player, she’s not shied away from being the go-to.

“And she finishes in different ways. That’s the thing. She’s not a predictable player that anyone’s going to be able to look at and say, ‘Oh, this is how you take Mia out of the game,’ … she’ll find a way to make you think differently. And that, to me, is really, really exciting in our game. And she’s one of those players, I feel over time, our fans are going to learn to be on the edge of their seats anytime she’s in and around the box. And the cellies are solid.”

Fishel agrees that she is exactly the kind of player Gallimore described, she wants the ball at her feet in the big moments, and she is not phased by pressure.

“I’ve been having pressure since I left UCLA, going to Tigres,” Fishel said. “That was, I think, the biggest backlash. … So I’m used to the pressure. I’m used to showing up in big moments. And I think that’s who I am as a player — I want to be in the big games. I want to be the one the ball gets to when it’s the last minute of the game. So it’s part of my DNA, and this is no different.”

Fishel is also versatile and willing to help her team in whatever position or role is best.

“I know that I could bring something different in whatever way Laura wants. That’s the trust that we have,” Fishel said. “I’m multi-dimensional. It just depends on who we’re playing, how we’re setting up. I think that I can gel in multiple ways, so I’m excited to explore that with Laura and see what works best with this team.”

There are also some more intangible attributes that the UCLA alum is bringing with her that suggest she will be successful.

Fishel is hungry. She felt she wasn’t getting enough opportunities at Chelsea and has not been shy about her desire to be a consistent contributor for the U.S. women’s national team.

“I feel like even though I was doing really well and doing all that I could, it just wasn’t enough for the [Chelsea] coach at the time,” Fishel said. “And I wanted to, obviously, be on a team that values me and respects me and knows my talent and will use it. I also want to be in the U.S. women’s national team, and I know how big playing time is, so that definitely helped with my decision to leave Chelsea.”

Some things that have stood out to Harvey since coaching her with the U-20s, which wasn’t a very long period of time but featured a lot of games in a short span, are her ability and drive to learn.

“I think just the flexibility to learn really quickly was something that stood out,” Harvey said. “I think she described herself as a sponge. I would echo that. [She also has] a drive, a real drive to want to be the best she possibly can be. And when you’re working with a player like that, you just lean towards that. Because I want everyone to be the best they can possibly be. And if we can help develop her in any way possible, we want to do that.”

“We’re absolutely thrilled to bring Mia into our squad,” Seattle Reign FC head coach Laura Harvey said in a statement. “She’s a forward with world-class potential who’s already accomplished so much in her young career. Mia’s ability to disrupt defenses, finish in different ways makes her a dangerous addition to our group. We’re excited to help her take the next step and can’t wait to see her on the field soon.”

Fishel has made three appearances for the senior U.S. women’s national team. She received her second call-up for the senior team in September 2023 for a set of friendlies against South Africa and subsequently made her senior debut on September 24, 2023. Fishel scored her first, and so far only, goal for the national team in her second appearance, a friendly against Colombia which finished 3–0 on October 29, 2023.

Fishel has also represented the United States at the U-15, U-17 and U-20 levels, winning three Concacaf championships across those age groups. In 2020, Fishel was a finalist alongside Naomi Girma and Trinity Rodman for U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year.

Fishel’s USWNT journey was derailed in February 2024 when she tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee while training for the 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup.

After 13 months of rehab, the former UCLA Bruin returned to the field on March 23 for Chelsea. She made four league appearances, making one start but playing no more than 55 minutes in any one game. As a result, Fishel scored two goals in 14 appearances over two years for Chelsea.

Fishel made a partial return to the USWNT when she spent the end-of-May to early-June international break with the U-23s for a pair of games against Germany.

“Yes, she could come in, sit on the bench for [the senior team], but it’s much better for her to go and play in Germany and get the experiences so that these players are tracking to compete in the place that we want them to come 2027,” USWNT head coach Emma Hayes said in May.

In her time at UCLA, from 2019 to 2021, Fishel scored 32 goals and added 14 assists in
59 appearances for the Bruins. She was a two-time United Soccer Coaches All-American
and earned First Team All-Pac-12 honors in back-to-back seasons.

Fishel was initially drafted No. 5 overall in the 2022 NWSL Draft by the Orlando Pride after leaving UCLA a year early. She declined to join Orlando and instead chose to sign with Liga MX Femenil powerhouse Tigres, where she made an immediate impact.

Fishel was the league’s top scorer in the 2022 Apertura (fall) season with 17 goals in 17 appearances, making her the first foreign player to win Liga MX Femenil Golden Boot, as Tigres won the title, and she added another 13 goals in the 2023 Clausura (spring) before her move to Chelsea.

Hayes was the Chelsea boss when the Blues first acquired Fishel from Tigres in 2023 for a $250,000 transfer fee. While at Chelsea, the club won back-to-back Women’s Super League titles. She was also with Chelsea during the club’s run to its sixth FA Women’s Cup title (2024-25) and third FA Women’s League Cup title (2024-25). Fishel scored in her Chelsea debut but missed the better part of both seasons.

“I’m incredibly excited to sign a long-term contract in the NWSL and take this next step in my career with Seattle Reign FC,” Fishel said in a statement. “This league is one of the best in the world, and I’m looking forward to the opportunity. I can’t wait to get started and contribute to the team’s success.”

The contract shows immense belief in Fishel’s potential as she immediately becomes the longest-contracted player on Seattle’s roster. Only three players are even signed through one less season, with Claudia Dickey, Ainsley McCammon and Sam Meza all signed through 2028.

“We’re pleased to bring Mia Fishel to Seattle Reign FC,” said general manager Lesle Gallimore in a release. “Mia is a player with tremendous upside – a goal-scorer with presence, creativity and a drive to keep growing. This move represents an important step in her return to top form, and we’re committed to giving her the environment and support to thrive. We believe in her ability to make a real impact in the NWSL and are looking forward to what she’ll bring to the club and our fans.”

Reports emerged in early June that Fishel was in discussion with multiple NWSL teams about a summer transfer away from Chelsea in search of more minutes and earning more USWNT caps ahead of the 2027 World Cup.

Chelsea already boasts a crowded roster of talented forwards, including fellow USWNT attacker Catarina Macario, Colombian international Mayra Ramírez, and Australian Sam Kerr, the two-time WSL league-leading scorer who is set to return from a long-term knee injury.

Seattle are not without their own crowded forward pool which has seen a decent amount of rotation through injury and different players being in form.

USWNT and NWSL veteran Lynn Biyendolo leads the front line when healthy, while rookie Maddie Dahlien has appeared in every single match this season, and 18-year-old Emeri Adames has recently been in fire form, named to the June NWSL Best XI. Canadian Jordyn Huitema and Haitian international Nérilia Mondesir have also started at various points when healthy, while Ana-Maria Crnogerčević and Maddie Mercado too have played some impactful minutes. Certain lineups have also seen brilliant attacking midfielders like Jess Fishlock and Ji So-Yun play more so as part of the forward line.

Despite a deep forward pool, Reign have at times lacked the presence of a true No. 9, a more traditional center-forward, a classic focal point with Fishel’s pure goal-scoring ability.

Biyendolo is the closest as she is more than capable of playing that position, stretching the back line and being on the receiving end of service, but she can make an impact anywhere along the front line. Huitema is often thought of as a pure striker but rarely, if ever, plays that way for Seattle. This season, she has often played more as a false nine or a play-making No. 10.

Despite her goalscoring acumen, Fishel has admitted that she “identified more as an attacking midfielder” while she was growing up. “I wanted to be on the ball and start attacks,” she told the Chelsea club website. That, however, is a position where the Reign are generally not lacking.

Fishel is already in market and able to begin training. Her first chances to appear will be in the club’s two July friendlies, against Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds on July 20 and against Portland Thorns on July 26, at Lumen Field and Providence Park, respectively. Seattle returns to NWSL play on Aug.1 at home against Angel City for its annual Pride Match.

Where Fishel fits into this Reign squad and how long it takes her to adjust to the NWSL remains to be seen, but her signing has the potential to be one of the biggest, most exciting, and most impactful moves of this summer transfer window.

“We are extremely pleased to not only extend Sally’s contract but to officially welcome her as a long-term member of Reign FC,” said Seattle Reign FC General Manager Lesle Gallimore in a statement. “Since joining us following preseason, Sally has seized every opportunity to make an impact. … Through her hard work and determination, she’s quickly established herself as an important contributor within our squad. Sally is a crafty player with exceptional football intelligence. Her growth over the past few months has been impressive, and we’re excited to continue supporting her development in the years to come.”

Though Menti had trained with the Reign over the years, her turnaround since signing in March 2025 has been miraculous and quick. An injury out of college initially meant the 23-year-old was unable to join the Reign for preseason. But once she got healthy, the 2020 NCAA Champion (a Santa Clara Bronco) signed a contract through the end of June. On May 23, Menti made her professional debut as a substitute against the Washington Spirit, playing just two minutes.

But on June 6, Menti made her first professional start against San Diego Wave and scored her first professional goal in the 67th minute. Her impressive strike helped the team secure an important 2-1 victory, and the moment was later nominated for NWSL Goal of the Week.

“I had a little injury coming out of college, so everything was kind of slow to begin with,” Menti said after her first start. “It’s been getting my fitness up, getting used to my team, getting comfortable with the coaches and everything. So just kind of all been building. And I mean, everyone here has been so welcoming and encouraging that it was a pretty natural build for me. And I just appreciate my teammates a lot and coaches for helping me.”

“So happy for Sally,” Harvey told media after the victory. “She’s grown a lot since she’s been with us. She’s a baller, absolute baller. The fact that she’s a local kid just means a little bit more, you know. And right before the goal, I think we’d had a couple of chances … and I brought them in … and I said, will someone do me a favor and just shoot? And then next minute, Sally rips an absolute worldie.”

Veteran defender Lauren Barnes was also full of praise for the young player’s performance.

“Having Sally in there, for her age right now, she brings such a calmness,” Barnes said. “And that’s exactly what this team needs right now [for how] we want to play. And Sally’s a ball player. So having her in there, and this game especially, is what we really needed, and she stepped up.”

Barnes looked straight at Menti as she spoke about just how much confidence she has in her and how she trusts the young players to continue carrying this team forward.

“Sally has a history with us as well,” Barnes continued. “This isn’t her first time with the team, and we knew we had something special for a really long time, and we always knew we needed to keep her around. So when she’s healthy and fit, she’s in here, and you guys got to see just a tad of what she’s going to bring. Sally’s a Reign player through and through, whether she knows it or not.”

Seattle’s midfield is by no means an easy place to break in and earn minutes. International legends like Jess Fishlock and Ji So-Yun are brilliant when healthy, Angharad James-Turner has been playing some of the best soccer of her career ahead of the UEFA Women’s Euros, Sam Meza has had a breakout season, and even players like Maddie Mercado and Nérilia Mondésir have put on big performances.

Despite the depth of talent available, since the victory in San Diego, Menti has started both of Seattle’s matches and played nearly 90 minutes both times — a 2-2 draw against the Stars in Chicago and a 4-1 victory in Utah over the Royals.

After her impressive performances, Menti was called to train with the U.S. U-23 women’s national team during the upcoming international window. She had previously represented the U.S. at the U-16, U-17, U-18, and U-20 levels, and was a finalist for the 2022 U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year Award.

The Reign will have to make more roster moves this summer. Even before they signed Menti to a long-term contract, they needed space for the return of defenders Ryanne Brown and Sofia Huerta from SEI and a loan, respectively. Lily Woodham’s loan also ends at the end of June.

But Menti’s new contract reflects the Reign’s belief in her and her commitment to Seattle.

“Continuing my career in my hometown with a world-class club I’ve admired for so long is incredibly special to me,” Menti said in her contract announcement. “I’m grateful for the belief the Reign has shown in me, and I’m excited to keep growing and contributing to this team.”

The Seattle Reign are moving up, and Menti isn’t going anywhere.

“It was the scariest night of my life,” Huitema told Rantz. “I just wanted to survive.”

On the evening of May 1, the day before a game against the Kansas City Current, Huitema was at the home of her boyfriend, Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez. She heard a noise downstairs, but the home’s security system was not triggered. Huitema deadbolted the bedroom door and hid in the innermost room of the bathroom suite, while turning off a motion-activated light. The burglars entered the bathroom, but never attempted to enter the room where Huitema was hiding.

The deactivation of the automatic light “likely saved her from being discovered,” Reign security director Carma Clark told Rantz.

“They were right on the other side of the wall,” Huitema said. Huitema’s initial call to 911 did not connect, and she had to wait several seconds before she was able to get through.

The incident was part of a series of targeted burglaries of high-profile Seattle athletes throughout the winter and spring of 2025. The Seattle Times reported last week that Earl Riley, a 21-year-old man who had been sentenced to a “mental health sentencing alternative” for three counts of robbery back in February, had been arrested and charged with four counts of residential burglary and one count of first-degree robbery. Riley is alleged to have worked with an accomplice who has not been publicly identified.

Huitema played in the Reign’s match against the Current the next day, providing the game-winning assist. Though she had spoken with Reign head coach Laura Harvey and the Reign security staff, Huitema had not informed her teammates what had happened until the after the game’s conclusion.

“While it takes time, and effort, and a good support system—it does get better,” Huitema told Rantz about her mental health journey in the six weeks since the incident. “At the end of the day, material things don’t matter. You’re alive. That’s what matters.”

In this week’s iteration of Anatomy of a Goal, we’re breaking down Seattle Reign’s game-winning score against the San Diego Wave.

Though the Reign headed into Week 11 a bit hot-and-cold, having traded wins and losses back-to-back in their last four games, the Wave came into this match in second place, riding a six-game unbeaten streak. The Wave’s momentum crashed against the rocks thanks to two Seattle screamers from distance, which handed them their first loss since April.

Let’s check out the goal that had the Reign come out on top.

SEATTLE — The 2024 National Women’s Soccer League season was Seattle Reign’s worst since the inaugural 2013 season that fans and players alike would love to forget. But similar to how the franchise bounced back in 2014 to win the Shield, the Reign are quickly getting back on track. 

The simplest example of this is the results on the scoresheet. Last year, the Reign won their opening game of the season and then lost five in a row before a win against San Diego preceded a historic winless streak. They finished the season second to last. This season, Seattle sits seventh in the league standings so far with three wins, two losses and two draws.

Looking beyond the scorelines further shows just how different things are this time around. Those in the team environment have noticed it too.

“It’s felt massively different,” head coach Laura Harvey told media in January on the first day of preseason. “I think in previous years at this club, one of the things that’s always been special about it is the locker room has been this really tight, like secret place. And inside of it, we’re battling against all the elements, and we’re doing it in spite of everything outside the room, not in tandem with everything outside the room. And I think for the first time in a long time, we don’t feel that way now. I think there’s a shared vision. There’s alignment from top to bottom on what we want to try and look like.”

Six weeks down in the National Women’s Soccer League season, and the rookies are already showing out. 

Let’s take a look at some of the top rookies so far this season:

Maggie Graham, Houston Dash 

Through the first six weeks of the season, Houston’s Maggie Graham has been a standout. Named Rookie of the Month for March, Graham got her first NWSL goal in the team’s opening weekend against the Washington Spirit. Then again, in the second week, the midfielder got a goal against Chicago in the team’s 2-1 win on what was essentially her first touch after being subbed in. She’s just the third rookie in NWSL history to score back-to-back goals in their first two NWSL games.