Abby Wambach won't play for Reign in 2015, but isn't retiring either

The chances of Abby Wambach ever suiting up for the Seattle Reign were always a bit slim, and the team officials have said along they didn't expect her to play this year. Wambach effectively made that official during an interview with the Washington Post.

"I am not going to play this season, that's accurate," she said when asked about playing in the NWSL.

A lot of the interview is actually about her dislike for artificial turf and her ongoing push to make sure future World Cups are only played on grass, unlike the most recent Women's World Cup. Considering the Reign play on artificial turf and don't really have any prospects for getting a grass pitch, the chances of Wambach ever playing here only seem to have diminished from "unlikely" to "almost certainly never."

But don't take that to mean Wambach is retiring. Not only is Wambach planning to make herself available for selection for the upcoming United States national team friendlies, but she's also leaving the door open for a run at the 2016 Summer Olympics.

"I haven't made a decision about the Olympics next summer and I would have to make the 18-player roster, first and foremost," she said. "It's not a foregone conclusion I would be chosen. I will be 36 years old and there are a lot of things that have to happen between now and then before I come close to making that decision. I am planning to play at this point, but I haven't decided and the coaching staff hasn't made that final decision yet."

Of course, the Reign seem to be doing just fine without her. They are currently sitting atop the NWSL Standings, are coming off a pair of wins against their biggest rivals and have scored five more than any other team in the league. Frankly, it's not even clear if she'd be much more than another weapon of Laura Harvey's bench even if she did sign.