The 2026 NWSL season opens Sunday when the Seattle Reign travel to Florida to face the Orlando Pride, a tough road test to start what figures to be the club's most important year in recent memory. After returning to the playoffs in 2025, only to see that run end against the Pride without a goal, this Reign squad returns hungry and largely intact.
Head coach Laura Harvey and general manager Lesle Gallimore collectively made a deliberate choice this offseason: rather than overhaul the roster, they invested in the group already here. With 22 returning players and a clear-eyed focus on fixing the things that stalled them in 2025 — possession, chance creation, and finishing — the Reign enter the season with high expectations and a depth chart that raises as many questions as it answers.
Before we dive in, a bit of context: NWSL teams can have up to 26 active players on their roster. That doesn't include players on the season-ending injury list, maternity leave, or out on loan. The Reign roster currently sits at 25 players, although two players – Cassie Miller (injury list) and Lynn Biyendolo (maternity leave) – are currently inactive. That puts the Reign at 23 available players, giving them flexibility to sign three additional players to short- or long-term contracts. The team brought in several trialists, two fullbacks and two forwards, who have yet to sign with the club, but could still earn a spot on the roster.
Here's a position-by-position look at where things stand heading into the season opener.
Goalkeepers
The Reign have four goalkeepers on the roster this season, with Cassie Miller still recovering from a season-ending injury that kept her out of rotation for much of the 2025 season. The three other goalkeepers are 2025 starter Claudia Dickey, 22-year-old homegrown player Neeku Purcell, and the newly signed 17-year-old Evan O'Steen.
Most teams have only three goalkeepers on their rosters, although several NWSL clubs have chosen to bring on four this year. When Miller is healthy, it's possible the Reign might choose to loan out one of their keepers for the rest of the season.
Dickey is now a regular on the U.S. Women's National Team and appears to be competing with former Reign goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce for the starting role heading into the 2027 Women's World Cup. Purcell and O'Steen are both U.S. Youth National Team players, with Purcell getting a call-up to the U-23 WNT during the last FIFA international window and O'Steen to the U-19 WNT.
Likely starter
This is Dickey's position for now, and she took a big leap in 2025 — establishing herself as one of the best goalkeepers in the league.
Gaps and needs
This is a great rotation of goalkeepers, and there isn't an immediate gap to fill for this spot on the roster. Dickey has a chance to win Goalkeeper of the Year, Miller is a proven veteran, Purcell is an up-and-coming talent who could challenge for a starting role on other NWSL teams, and O'Steen is a future star who will gain extensive professional experience at such a young age.
Defenders
The Reign have seven defenders signed: Ryanne Brown, Jordyn Bugg, Madison Curry, Shae Holmes, Sofia Huerta, Emily Mason, and Phoebe McClernon. All of these players are returning to the squad from the 2025 season.
The most significant loss this offseason was long-time veteran Lauren Barnes, who has been with the Reign since 2013 and leads the league in all-time appearances, minutes, and starts. The Reign will need to see veterans like Huerta, 33, and McClernon, 28, step up to organize what is otherwise a young backline.
Last year, the Reign primarily played in a 3-5-2 formation. This year, based on the one preseason game open to the public, it appears they might be trending back to a four-back — although head coach Laura Harvey always likes to surprise opponents.
Huerta was called into the 2023 USWNT roster for the Women's World Cup and appeared in one game. She hasn't been in regular national team rotation since then. Bugg, a 2025 NWSL Defender of the Year nominee, is now a U.S. Women's National Team regular, although she had to pull out of the recent camp for the SheBelieves Cup due to a hamstring injury. Mason has been called up to U-23 WNT camps in recent years and has significant youth national team experience.
Here's a breakdown of positional flexibility that the Reign have:
- Can play centerback or fullback: Holmes, Huerta, Mason, McClernon
- Primarily a centerback: Bugg
- Primarily a fullback: Brown, Curry
This flexibility will matter, especially if Harvey continues experimenting with formations.
Likely starters
There is a lot of positional flexibility among this group of players, so expect one or two players to rotate on the backline depending on the opponent and player health. The probable starting lineup for the Reign's opening match against Orlando is — from left to right — Curry, McClernon, Bugg, and Huerta.
Gaps and needs
There's a lot of balance in the defense. Brown is back after tearing her ACL in 2024, right as she was stepping into a starting position at left back. Holmes has proven she can slot into left back or left centerback and hold her own. Mason is a speedy centerback who isn't afraid to go into a tackle and can also play right back, and Curry was arguably the team's most consistent defender in 2025. What this team could use more of, beyond Huerta, is a fullback who can get into the attack and put in dangerous crosses. The entire defensive unit also needs to prove that they can connect their passes when other teams put them under pressure. The Reign struggled at times to build out of the back last year, which led them to give up opportunities in transition.
Midfielders
This is arguably the hardest spot on the field to predict, as there are so many combinations Harvey can play — and the team will likely spend the start of the season figuring out which combination works best. The Reign have six listed midfielders on the roster. Five of these players are returning, with one newcomer.
Angharad James-Turner (31), Sam Meza (24), and Ainsley McCammon (18) are the three players who will likely be tapped as holding midfielders. Harvey often likes to play with two deeper-lying midfielders, with rotation between them on who pushes higher into the attack. Veteran Jess Fishlock (39), returning for her 14th season, can also play in this deeper position. The Reign legend scored six goals last season on limited minutes – proving she can still be a menace, even if she doesn't start every game.
Sally Menti, who turned 24 today, and newly signed Sofia Cedeño (19) are two players who can play as attacking midfielders or as box-to-box midfielders. Several forwards can also slot into this attacking midfield role (see more in the forwards section below).
The most significant absence from the 2025 roster is Ji So-yun. The Reign loaned her to Birmingham City last September and didn't renew her contract at the end of the year. Ji is a creative midfielder and was one of the most exciting players in her prime, but she at times struggled to keep up with the pace of the NWSL.
With the exception of Fishlock and James-Turner, this is a young midfield group. There is a lot of talent in this spot on the field, but this group of players needs to show the league that they can keep possession, progress the ball up the field, and create chances — something the Reign struggled to do in 2025.
As a sign of how much potential this group of players have, all six midfielders have national team connections:
- James-Turner is captain of the Wales national team, while Fishlock retired from international play with Wales at the end of last year. Fishlock is currently the all-time leading goal-scorer for Wales.
- Meza and Menti both received their first senior USWNT caps in 2025. Meza is a ball-winning midfielder who established herself as an important starter for the Reign last year. Menti is a creative midfielder who plays with a little bite and is dangerous on free kicks.
- McCammon and Cedeño both received a call-up to the U-20 WNT in February; they are age-eligible for the U-20 World Cup this year. McCammon was co-captain of the U-17 WNT in 2024, which earned a bronze medal. Cedeño was born in Panama, so she requires an international spot on the Reign roster and can represent either national team.
Likely starters
For their first match against Orlando, if the Reign have three players in the midfield, I'd like to see Meza, McCammon, and Menti get the start. If Fishlock can start, she could replace either Menti or McCammon. McCammon took a big step up at the end of 2025 and showed she can be a great progressive passer while also using her long legs to stop opponents. Menti has the potential to be a dominant midfielder. What can they do together?
Gaps and needs
It's easy to look at the number of midfielders listed and have some concerns, but four players listed as forwards can easily slot into attacking midfield, giving the team a lot of flexibility. This young midfield core has a lot of talent. It's exciting to think about what they can accomplish with the support of veterans Fishlock and James-Turner. At the same time, the Reign could use a player who can keep the ball and create a lot of chances from the midfield. An attacking midfielder who can create magic out of nothing should be near the top of their wishlist and might be how the team utilizes the league's new High-Impact Player rule in the future.
Forwards
The Reign have eight forwards on the roster, although as stated above, several of these players can also slot into the midfield. Hooray for positional flexibility!
The Reign's forward options are: Emeri Adames, Lynn Biyendolo, Maddie Dahlien, Mia Fishel, Jordyn Huitema, Maddie Mercado, Nérilia Mondésir, and Brittany Ratcliffe.
There is just one newcomer on the frontline, Ratcliffe, a veteran, hardworking forward who will fill the gap left by the departures of Veronica Latsko and Ana-Maria Crnogorčević. Ratcliffe isn't expected to start a lot of matches, but she's a huge addition to the locker room — which goes a long way with such a young roster — and she's a player who loves to make an impact in whatever role she's asked.
Let's look at this frontline by position:
- Can play anywhere on the frontline and attacking midfield: Fishel (24), Mercado (24), Mondésir (27)
- Can play on the wing or center forward: Biyendolo (32), Huitema (24)
- Can play on the wing or attacking midfield: Adames (19)
- Primarily a wing player: Dahlien (21), Ratcliffe (32)
Biyendolo is on maternity leave and likely won't suit up for the Reign until after the summer break in August. Fishel, who the team signed from Chelsea, was a regular for the USWNT before tearing her ACL in 2024. She's going to be hungry to prove herself and try to reclaim a spot on the national team.
Dahlien, who played left wingback and left forward last year, received her first senior USWNT cap at the start of this year. A Rookie of the Year nominee last season, Dahlien has incredible speed and good instincts in 1v1 situations. She had four goals and four assists last season and hopefully built up even more confidence heading into her second year as a professional. Huitema is a regular on the Canadian national team. Many have been waiting for her to have a true breakout year in the NWSL. At 5' 11', she's a threat in the air. Can she get into more dangerous positions and be a threat in front of the goal this year?
Adames is the most creative player on the Reign roster and tied with Fishlock as the team's leading goalscorer in 2025, with six goals. Primarily lining up on the right wing, the left-footed attacker loves to cut inside and set up or take shots. She can also do a lot of that from the attacking midfielder role, if asked. Adames will likely be splitting time with Mondésir, who primarily rotated between right wing and attacking midfield last year. The Haiti women's national team captain can keep possession well and strike from distance. She showed her potential in 2025 and also feels ready for a breakout season.
Likely starters
Just like the midfield, this is a frontline with a lot of options. For the opening match, I'm hopeful the front three will be Dahlien on the left, Fishel in the center-forward role, and Adames on the right. Mondésir, who scored the team's lone goal in their 1-0 preseason win against Angel City, could also slot into the lineup either at right wing or attacking midfield.
Gaps and needs
The Reign actually overperformed their expected goals total last year, so this is a frontline that can score when put in the right position. But they currently don't have anyone on the roster that analysts might point to as a consistent goal-scoring threat. The Reign need another forward who opponents fear can score or get a shot off at any moment. Biyendolo was poised to be that player last year, but she had an ankle injury, a knee injury, and then was out on maternity leave. Fishel has the potential to be that player, and wingers Adames and Dahlien can also step into this role. At the same time, this feels like another high priority for the Reign — and hopefully they look to bring that kind of player in mid-season or for next year.
Seattle Reign's 2026 season begins exactly where it ended: in Orlando. After concluding the 2025 regular season against Orlando, then facing the Pride again in the first round of the playoffs, the Reign have their third match in a row in Florida. The game kicks off on Sunday, March 15, at 1 p.m. PT and will air on Victory+, a new free NWSL streaming service.
