It was all there for the Reign to take – three points at home and a shot at climbing into the top three of a crowded league table, where even last year's juggernauts have struggled to really separate themselves from the pack.
Instead, Visionary Multi-Team Mogul Michele Kang Presents: The Washington Spirit™️ came out firing and the Reign flailed, sometimes literally, for answers. An apparent early Spirit goal was chalked off for a fairly clear offside, giving the Reign a moment's reprieve to adjust and regroup. They did neither, and in the 11th minute, Croix Bethune scored*. Washington scored a second before the halftime whistle, and despite a few decent stretches of play and a nifty Shae Holmes goal, the Reign went into the locker room down 2-1.
(* My understanding is the 11th minute goal has been ruled a Shae Holmes own goal. I've rewatched it several times myself and I genuinely have no idea, as Prime helpfully did not give us a view that shows anything. Also, the league still records it as Croix Bethune and Opta is, as of the time of this writing, crediting it as both a shot and not a shot, and crediting the assist but not the goal. It's very annoying as a scorekeeping sicko. Get it together, Opta and NWSL.)
The second half was better! Genuinely! But the Reign couldn't find a goal, and already being down a goal, that better amounted to not good enough. And, in the bigger picture, it served as a reminder that better than last year is still not necessarily all the way to good.
Despite the setback, the Reign are in sixth place as of the international break, and they've definitely shown they can hang with, at least, the middle of the pack. This was, however, probably their worst defensive performance of the season, and a bad defensive performance absolutely sinks you when you aren't consistently creating the danger to come back from it.
Goalkeeper
Claudia Dickey – 6
This was something of a rarity this season: a match without Claudia Dickey doing something stunning. She made two saves – one in the third minute on a Rosemonde Kouassi strike, one in the sixth minute on Rebeca Bernal – that were never particularly threatening, and had a nervy moment waaaay outside her goal that came off well, but she was otherwise mostly quiet.
She also gave up two goals, but... really, there was just no chance on either of the chances that got past her.
It was an oddity. Despite the field tilt they managed, the Spirit got very few actually good, clear looks at the goal. Of their 17 efforts, TEN were highly speculative shots from outside the penalty area, another four were closer but from bad angles or against a set defense; they missed the target with six of those 17 shots and the Reign blocked another eight. But whew, the small handful of times they actually did get something through clean, they were lethal, and created the sort of chances that you just don't stop.
Going forward. Notwithstanding a bad result, Claudia Dickey is literally the player I'm least concerned about on the Reign roster.
Defenders
Shae Holmes – 4 (off 74' for Nérilia Mondésir)
Was it an own goal? Did Croix Bethune just beat her out goal side? Ultimately, it doesn't really matter – once Shae was in the position of having to defend that run onto that cross in that spot at that pace, the outcome was likely to be the same no matter who got the boot to the ball first. It was a largely deserved goal, and Shae's struggles to keep up with the Spirit's right wing and struggles to keep possession (that 11-for-21 passing and four turnovers in the defensive third loomed enormous for a Reign side needing to take the bite out of the game) were big contributors to the mounting pressure.
I will say that while she got scorched by Rosemonde Kouassi a number of times in the early going, and she struggled with the Spirit running downhill, she made adjustments and ultimately made herself quite hard to play through as the game progressed. As she stopped getting burned, she started putting up defensive stops, finishing with three blocks, two tackles, an interception, and three recoveries. She also won two fouls in the defensive third, and transformed her presence from an exploitable opportunity to a source of frustration for the Spirit attack before leaving the pitch for Nérilia Mondésir.
Oh, and she scored the Reign's only goal, and it was a real slick goal, set up with a lovely touch and finished with authority. Honestly, how do you rate the extremes in a performance like this?
Going forward. While I firmly believe Shae Holmes has a lot to offer, two slower defenders on the left against Kouassi and Bernal was perhaps not the best way to make use of her.
Lauren Barnes – 5
The left side of the defense was a problem for the Reign from the outset, with Lu Barnes joining Holmes in the 'not up for the opening pace of the game' club. Barnes was much cleaner in possession, her usual tidy self on the ball, but she struggled mightily when the Spirit broke fast down the flanks, something they did early, often, and with ruthless intent.
Barnes has never been a defender who relies on speed; her read of the game and ability to get into the right spots has always been among the best in the league, and she's always been very good at getting to those spots and denying speed anything to run onto. When she gets those reads wrong, she doesn't have the quickness to consistently recover, though, and she got those reads wrong a number of times in the opening frame.
Like Holmes, she grew more into the game and made herself hard to play through; she eventually finished with two tackles, two blocks, two clearances, and six recoveries, and after the Spirit's second goal, they barely challenged.
But those two opening goals still happened, and the Spirit victimized Barnes' side of the defense repeatedly on the road to getting them, and that repeated victimization had both McClernon and Bugg drifting to cover for it, leaving the right side more vulnerable in turn... it just wasn't great.
Going forward. The Lunaissance might've lost a little steam here. This was the first time all season that Barnes looked less than up to it. As noted above, two slower defenders on one side against an extremely fast and technical flank might not have been the best way to utilize her.
Phoebe McClernon – 6
Right out the gate: McClernon was inches away from worse outcomes on several plays, and on both of the Spirit's scoring plays, she could've been victimized for losing her mark on the final pass. The Reign defense was in shambles and slow to respond too many times before settling it down later. Soccer's a funny little game, though, where sometimes you get beaten in the individual battle and it winds up entirely inconsequential to what happens in the rest of the play. And after some troubling moments and misreads in the early going, her body of work turned around to pretty good by full time.
With the Reign needing big performances to have the chance at a comeback, Phoebe dialed it in and finished with four tackles won, nine recoveries, five of seven duels won, two blocks, and two interceptions; the Spirit attack fizzled after their 35th minute tally and they didn't manage another shot from a dangerous area until the 71st minute (and then didn't manage another shot, period, until the final whistle) – McClernon stepped up and led by example, and the Reign clamping things down on the back line gave the team an opportunity to at least try to fight back.
Going forward. On a back line that didn't exactly cover itself in glory, McClernon led the turnaround to finally – albeit too late – shut down the Spirit. You can build on that.
Jordyn Bugg – 5
Like McClernon, Bugg was too slow to respond and beaten by a step or a hair a number of times that she didn't get directly punished for in the early going, as the Reign's back line spent about 30 minutes positively chasing shadows and losing every battle. She also failed to close on Gift Monday in the 35th minute, giving her way too much time and space to pick her pass and square it to Ashley Hatch for the winning goal.
After the shaky start, Bugg turned out in a big, tale of two halves way, and she was the Reign's best defender in the second frame. Despite some pretty substantial miscues in the early going, she was a big part of the Reign forcing the Spirit to spend 60 minutes settling for speculative, frustrated, going-nowhere shots. She finished with five recoveries, five interceptions, and eight clearances, transitioning from very shaky early going into brick wall defense that the Spirit couldn't solve for.
Also, in the 85th minute, she pounced on the big rebound off a Jess Fishlock shot, and the Reign can feel rightly disappointed that they didn't score on the sequence.
The adjustments were good, effective, transformative. They just came a bit too late.
Going forward. On a back line that didn't, exactly, cover itself in glory, Bugg dug deep and fought back from early struggles to shut down the Spirit in the second half. You can build on that.
Madison Curry – 5
Making it five for five with defenders struggling to contain the Spirit attack before eventually figuring it out, Madison Curry had a rough early shift trying to handle Gift Monday, who got past her and into dangerous space repeatedly in the first half hour. Worse, with much of the Reign defense pulling left to cover for an overwhelmed Barnes and Holmes, when Curry lost Monday, it left Bugg on an island to try to cover her. Bad things came of this.
On the other hand, Curry offered a lot more speed and effort in recovery than was available on the left side, and she fought like hell to get back in the way and make it harder on the Spirit. A moral victory at best when the team concedes twice, sure, but the effort and the ability to get back into the mix after being burned both matter. She was also in on the full-backline reclaiming-some-dignity montage, and was a wrecking machine on the right side after the first half hour: five blocks, three tackles, four recoveries, and four duels won. When the Reign finally turned it up, the Spirit didn't get a f-ckin' thing past her.
It just took too long – and a 2-1 deficit – for the Reign to adjust and really show up.
Going forward. Notwithstanding the summer window and the presumptive return of So Many Fullbacks, including Sofia Huerta... I think Madison Curry has largely made the right back role her own, and I'd be disappointed to see her lose it without a fight.
Midfielders
Sam Meza – 6 (POTM)
Even on a relatively bad night for almost everybody, Sam Meza did more than her share and did her best to pull something out of nothing for a beleaguered Reign.
The bad: on the Spirit's second goal, she's completely cut out of the play by one pass, and it's a pass she's in a position to make harder – or prevent completely – if she moves decisively. But there were many mistakes in the course of conceding that goal, and Meza's was hardly the most egregious.
The good: not a typo, ten (10) recoveries. Four interceptions. Four blocks. Three tackles won. In the 85th minute, she got on the second rebound after Jordyn Bugg's wound up shot and drilled a ball from distance that might've torn the laces of the net but for a timely block. Meza was everywhere, doing a bit of everything. She was a bulldog in the defensive phases of the game, and she ran ragged to support the Reign going forward. With most of the team turning up a bit flat, Meza seemed up to the game from the opening whistle.
Going into the break, the Reign have a clear frontrunner for Team MVP, and it's Sam Meza by miles.
Going forward. I don't know what the floor or ceiling actually is for this Reign team – all I know is that Meza raises both in a way no other player on the roster presently can.
Angharad James-Turner – 5 (off 74' for Ji So-yun)
This was probably the most 'normal' and unsurprising performance of the match: while not all the way up to the fairly good standard she's set this season, it was relatively in keeping with expectations: solid and professional, clean on the ball, three tackles and four duels won, but just 30 touches and few efforts to push the ball forward.
Importantly, Haz and Meza remain an extremely effective midfield pairing that's very, very hard to play through, but in a match where so much of Washington's success came from absolutely dominating the wide areas for a disastrous half-hour stretch, James-Turner's strength in turning play away from the middle was not terribly influential, and she, like the rest of the midfield, found herself bypassed entirely and chasing the play often enough to be concerning.
Going forward. This wasn't a bad performance, it just wasn't particularly influential. Haz isn't a player who looks to get on the ball 40 or 50 or 80 times a match, but she can offer more than this, and when she's at her best, she makes her 30 touches count more.
Maddie Dahlien – 4 (off 89' for Sally Menti)
Early on, Maddie was largely starved for service. After the opening goal, as the Reign finally started finding the ball and looking forward, she got into the thick of things more, and had some moments worth pointing out.
First, on the Reign goal: take nothing away from Holmes' touch and finish, but it's Dahlien attacking space and boxing out the defender that lets the ball come through to Holmes in the first place. This is exciting to see, as it's an aspect of forward play she hadn't prior exhibited very much of. Second, in first-half stoppage time, Emeri Adames delivered a beautifully weighted looping ball for Dahlien to run onto. Maddie showed a new trick, shrugging a defender with her body language and running hard into the penalty area before she went down under a ton of contact. Nothing came of it, but it was a growth of her play in attacking moments that bodes well.
On the whole, Dahlien had a fairly rough outing, managing no shots and no shot-creating actions, struggling to find the right pass, and struggling to get into good spots to receive the ball, all of which further contributed to the defensive struggles on the left side; still, the small things, the growth moments, are worth noticing for a very young rookie.
Going forward. NWSL defenders have been more aware of Danger Maddie's pace and acceleration, and Dahlien is going to have to add more consistency and flair to the rest of her game to thrive. She's already showing the understanding and improving her movement week over week, and I expect she should adapt just fine.
Emeri Adames – 6 (off 61' for Jess Fishlock)
Finally getting her first start of the season, Emeri Adames couldn't change the game, but she did show a lot of promise and vision. Her first half stoppage time ball to Dahlien was possibly my favorite Reign pass of the match, a clever ball that gave the Spirit defense fits, and on another afternoon might've ended with a goal or a penalty.
She parlayed her 34 touches into consistently pushing the Reign forward and was arguably the best on the team at maintaining possession in the attacking third; often working in tight quarters, she put together a sparkling 16-for-19 passing line for passes under 15 yards, and three of her four recoveries were in the Spirit's half of the field. It does bear noting that none of that solid attacking-possession play ended with a shot or a key pass; Emeri got the Reign close but couldn't bring it home.
The Reign's first sub of the match, Emeri couldn't change the scoreline and left for the returning Jess Fishlock in the 61st minute, but certainly played well enough to demand more minutes.
Going forward. The Reign didn't have a lot of attacking fortune in the first 60 minutes, but what they did had consistently went through Adames, who showed a lot of chemistry with Meza and Dahlien. We should try out this Adames kid more often.
Forwards
Jordyn Huitema – 4 (off 62' for Lynn Biyendolo)
A frustrating match for Huitema, who got into good spaces a number of times but was starved of service, and got into good combination play a number of times but lost the ball to an errant touch. Somewhat uncharacteristically, she also struggled in the air and struggled to hold up the ball on those moments the Reign had on the break, both factors in the long stretches of futility for the Reign's attack.
She worked hard and was an active contributor in the Reign's whole-team, get in the dirty places and start winning the battles attitude shift after the second Spirit goal, racking up two blocks, four recoveries, and two clearances while tracking back and running hard. The effort was there, but the decisions and quality weren't, and unlike other frustrating Huitema outings this year, she wasn't making up the difference by terrorizing the back line in the air and creating space by occupying the centerbacks consistently enough to help.
Going forward. I genuinely think Huitema would be a 10 goal scorer on a team that plays more to her strengths. I'm not sure the Reign as constructed can play more to her strengths and still be a winning team. I still think she can add plenty to the Reign attack with her height and aerial quality, but that foundational contradiction is bound to continue frustrating unless something changes.
Substitutes
Jess Fishlock – 6 (on 61' for Emeri Adames)
Jess Fishlock returned from injury and instantly made a difference. It took her 30 minutes to lead the team in chances created and shot-creating actions.
A 63rd minute pass found Lynn Biyendolo for a shot right in her wheelhouse. Her 85th minute header was dangerous and forced a strong save from Aubrey Kingsbury; the save produced a juicy rebound that led to an immediate Jordyn Bugg shot and then a speculative, driven third try by Sam Meza.
If the Reign were going to find an equalizer, the instant spark and connection Fishlock added looked to be the most likely source. It wasn't to be, but it's really good to have Jess available again.
Going forward. Sam Meza looks to be the future for the Reign midfield in a big damn way, but Jess Fishlock is still Jess Fishlock, a singular player like few others, and she shows again and again that she's not done yet. Even better? They looked real comfortable playing off each other.
Lynn Biyendolo – 4 (on 62' for Jordyn Huitema)
Lynn Biyendolo and Jess Fishlock subbed on at the 62nd minute, and by the 63rd, they'd assembled a chance to equalize the score. Biyendolo's shot was blocked away, but the difference in danger for the Reign with Lynn and Fish together on the field was night and day, an immediate shift that forced the Spirit onto the back foot for long stretches of the final half hour.
Unfortunately, Biyendolo faded into obscurity for long stretches, neither finding much of the ball nor demanding much of it; she finished the night with just five touches. She came back into the match in the last 10 minutes or so, mixing it up in the air and combining with Ji So-yun for the final shot of the game (which was, like so many others, blocked.)
Going forward. Biyendolo offers multiple attacking tools and can create danger on or off the ball. The Spirit were able to contain her a little too easily through most of her shift, but she still found two or three moments through that. If the Reign are going to compete, they'll need her to find those two or three moments on her off days, and a lot more on her good ones.
Nérilia Mondésir – 4 (on 74' for Shae Holmes)
Replacing Shae Holmes in the 74th minute, Coco made her long-awaited first appearance since mid-April and showed both a fair bit of rust and some of that tantalizing promise that we've been waiting to see week after week. On 10 touches, she failed to take or create a shot and was unsuccessful the one time she tried to dribble an opponent, but she had several very good, marauding carries in the final 15 minutes of the match. Before her injury, the final product looked to finally be coming together.
Now, coming back from injury, well... we might have to wait a couple weeks to see that again, but we missed the mix of directness and craftiness she provides, even rusty.
Going forward. Get healthy, get Mondésir more minutes, and maybe, maybe, we can finally see what the upside of this team actually is.
Ji So-yun – 5 (on 74' for Angharad James-Turner)
Good: A late sub with the Reign desperately chasing a result, Ji So-yun immediately put the ball on her foot and looked for solutions. She completed 11 of 14 passes, including two passes into the penalty area. She still looks comfortable combining with just about anybody. With time dying, she took a feed from Lynn Biyendolo and called her own shot...
The less good: ...which was unfortunately blocked. There was plenty of crafty play and plenty of effort, but Ji, like everyone else, couldn't actually muster the one incisive moment to carve out the equalizing goal and steal back a point from the Spirit.
Going forward. The Reign have a lot of combinations and a lot of options they can try in midfield, and Ji's comfort on the ball and reliability as a progressive passer can unlock a bunch of other players. But we have to find the combinations that work, and we haven't had much opportunity to do that yet.
Sally Menti – N/A (on 89' for Maddie Dahlien)
Reign debut! Sally Menti subbed on for stoppage time and got her first minutes on the pitch in a Reign kit. It's hard to draw a lot of conclusions from the 5-6 minutes she played, but she's tall, athletic, tenacious, and was absolutely unafraid to get into the action, all things that any team can make use of.
Going forward. Let's get Sally Menti a goal next time!
Referee
Brad Jensen – 5
Yeah, Brad Jensen was basically fine, I guess. I mean, he wasn't really bothering to whistle fouls himself, and his ARs kept having to call fouls he was in a better position to call, but he did listen to his ARs when they did that. He correctly listened to his ARs and VAR about the offside would-be opening goal. Officiating is a hard job, and there are worse things to be said than "this man listened to the team that's there to help him get things right." He just also... man, he was really absentee through large stretches of the game that could've benefited from a whistle. And in particular, he definitely should've shown a card to Gift Monday after her fourth foul and seventh warning.
(Also, if Maddie Dahlien played for the Portland Thorns, she would've won a penalty in first-half stoppage time. Was it worth a penalty? I'm admittedly indifferent on that question and didn't mark Brad down for it. I'm just taking another opportunity to point out that Portland has received nearly a third of all penalties awarded in the NWSL this season, and penalties account for nearly a third of their total goals scored, and the apparently wildly different standards for penalties based on who's playing are really noticeable this year.)
And Another Thing..!
While I don't intend to start Coach Ratings any time soon, I will say that Laura Harvey's more conservative tendencies may be a limiting factor for the offensive talent that we currently have. Barring an incandescent, Kim Little-in-2014 level player, we've seldom seen a Harvey team really go for it. This 2025 edition of the Reign has been hard as hell to play against and can score in a number of different ways, but they haven't yet shown they can go for the throat and simply make a goal happen when they need one.
And all that said, the Reign are probably still one good move away from really challenging. Might as well make that one good move an incandescent, Kim Little in 2014 level attacker while we're going for it, right?
Thank you for sticking around for all four thousand-plus words of this one. There was a lot to be said about a very hot-and-cold full-match performance.
