Seattle Reign have made another move ahead of their opening game this weekend, announcing the signing of Canadian international forward Holly Ward to a two-year contract. The Reign acquired her for an undisclosed fee from Vancouver Rise FC of the Northern Super League. A native of Vancouver, Ward spent 10 years of her childhood in Portland before moving back to Canada and holds dual citizenship, meaning she will not require an international spot. This move brings the Reign to 24 active players, with two roster spots still open.
“I’m incredibly excited to join Seattle Reign FC and take the next step in my career in the NWSL,” said Ward in a team release. “This club has such a strong history and a reputation for competing at the highest level, so it’s a special opportunity for me. I’m looking forward to meeting the fans and doing everything I can to help the team succeed.”
Ward played college soccer at the University of Texas, where she scored 9 goals and added 10 assists in her senior year. She was named to the conference All-Tournament teams in both her junior and senior years. She was a preseason trialist with Racing Louisville in 2025 before signing her first pro contract by Vancouver Rise ahead of the inaugural NSL season. She scored 8 goals and added 5 assists in 25 appearances for Vancouver, including scoring the game-winning goal in the 2025 NSL Championship.
“Holly Ward is an exciting young forward with tremendous upside and a mentality that fits exactly what we’re building at Seattle Reign FC,” said Reign General Manager Lesle Gallimore in a release. “She’s already shown her ability to impact games with her pace, work rate and creativity in the attacking third, and her rise with the Canadian National Team speaks to the quality and potential she brings to our club. We’re thrilled to welcome Holly to Reign FC and look forward to supporting her continued development while she helps strengthen our team and compete for championships.”
Internationally, Ward has nine appearances with Canada’s senior national team, most recently this month at the 2026 SheBelieves tournament, where she featured in two of Canada’s three games. She also represented Canada at the 2022 U-20 Women’s World Cup and 2022 Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship, where she scored four goals.
Ward will be available for selection when the Reign kick off against Orlando Pride on Sunday at 1 PM PT on Victory+.
