Reeling from an embarrassing 2-0 loss while up two players against their biggest rivals, the Reign badly needed a bounce-back performance. Something to restore their confidence, something to restore the faith of the fans.
And my, oh, my did they deliver.
The final scoreline reads 3-0, but it easily could've been a lot worse for Kansas City. After some early jitters, the Reign seized control of the match, stacking up chances, jumping to an early lead, and then ruthlessly extending that lead unto infinity. It might've been 4-0, but for the lack of a camera angle that could definitively say Jess Fishlock's strike fully crossed the goal line. It might've been 4-0 again, but for referee Thomas Snyder spending an extended period of time watching an obvious handling offense in the Current penalty area and then declining to award the penalty anyway because reasons.
Multiple players stood out for the Reign – Brittany Ratcliffe's clinical finish put her on pace for the runaway best season of her career, Maddie Mercado picked herself up from a couple uninspiring performances and dominated the competition up the middle, Emeri Adames was dynamic going forward and more in tune with her teammates than we've possibly ever seen her – but more than anything else, it was Sofia Huerta's night.
Her two assists extended her sole possession of the all-time league record, and she demonstrated how the Reign can be extremely, consistently dangerous from wide positions, just five days after the Reign put on a clinic on how to create no danger from the same spaces.
This was a fun one. Let's keep the vibes rolling, shall we?
Goalkeeper
Claudia Dickey – 7
Plus. Dickey wasn't asked to do a lot, but Kansas City assembled two decent chances, and Claw-dia came up with two saves in response. In the 40th minute, Ally Sentnor managed to skate into the box, get herself a bit of space, and shoot, and a diving Dickey pushed the ball wide. In the 90+7th minute, Michelle Cooper took possession in the area and delivered a sharp-angle shot that Claudia again stretched to get a hand to and pushed wide and out of danger.
She was also good in distribution, strong in the air, effective on the occasions she came off her line, and generally turned in a very good goalkeeping performance. Claudia had all the answers, Kansas City just didn't ask very many questions.
Minus. Despite connecting on long passes eight times, Dickey was unable to provide an elusive NWSL goalkeeper assist directly over the top.
Defenders
Sofia Huerta – 9 (POTM)
Plus. Two assists in quick succession, both off beautiful, long diagonal crosses, one to Brittany Ratcliffe's white-hot foot on the far post, one to Maddie Mercado's head in the center. A third cross was also good enough for an assist but didn't end in the back of the net. Huerta was comfortable on the ball, a chance-creating machine, and repeatedly progressed the Reign's attack into more dangerous configurations even when she didn't deliver the final ball.
Add to that the six recoveries and six defensive contributions, winning every single one of her 50/50 duels, and absolutely dominating the right flank and you've got a really winning performance on both sides of the ball, one of the best matches we've ever seen from a player with a long and storied career already.
Minus. Okay, sure, she notched two assists to emphatically extended her lead at the top of all-time league assists list, and tied the record for most multi-assist games, but where was her THIRD assist?
Emily Mason – 6
Plus. A great bounce-back match for Mason, who, paired with McClernon, rejected the premise of Kansas City's attack in its entirety. Alongside her 70 touches, she was tidy with the ball, only really struggling on long deliveries. Her 10 defensive contributions were third on the team, and a rotated but still dangerous group of Current attackers really only managed to wrong-foot her one time, towards the end of the first half.
Minus. I would like to see her complete more than one in every seven long deliveries, and while even losing a duel is often a net plus in disrupting the progression of play, Mason did lose far more than she won when she went 1-v-1 against a Current attacker.
Phoebe McClernon – 8
Plus. Seventeen defensive contributions, all over the middle of the pitch. Phoebe McClernon is THE single biggest reason that the Current managed just one shot from closer than 17 yards. While the team as a whole kept Kansas City pinned back and showed little vulnerability on the break, McClernon was a one woman wrecking crew assuring that no moments of individual skill could undo a brilliant team showing.
She also had the most touches on the field (94), the sharpest passing (67 of 73), and won all six of her duels. A storming performance anchoring the back line to their second shutout of the season.
Minus. Unfortunately, in this match, Phoebe McClernon was unable replicate her performance of bodying Olivia Moultrie off the ball in a moment I could only describe as hilarious.
Madison Curry – 6
Plus. This was a match made for Madison Curry's relentless desire to run fast, get high up the pitch, and tackle some ladies. And oh, my, did she ever. She had 12 passes into the final third, 10 defensive contributions, four tackles, and an average field position that, along with Huerta's forays on the opposite side, gave Seattle a perpetual numbers advantage in the middle of the pitch.
Curry was relentless in getting forward and providing overlapping danger for Brittany Ratcliffe, and that relentless running created chaos and forced defenders to make choices. Choices that, ultimately, ended in goals.
Minus. Some parts of Curry's game are definitely still a work in progress. She tends to make high-risk passes, and her completion rate isn't amazing; she also sometimes runs herself clear out of being an outlet option for her team.
Midfielders
Angharad James-Turner – 7
Plus. Obviously, opening the scoring with a shot over several defenders counts as a plus. Coming after a prolonged spell of pressure, it was a deserved goal for the Reign, and Haz having the composure to provide that finish in that moment turned the complexion of the match.
This was a more typical James-Turner match in a lot of ways – fewer touches than you'd expect from a midfielder, conservative passing to preserve possession, strong positional defending that preferred to funnel attackers away from dangerous spaces over big tackles and strong challenges, eight recoveries as she ran hard to win free balls, and a few timely fouls to break things up when she had no other choice.
Minus. While she provides a lot of stability and savvy defending in the middle of the park, she also got dribbled through a couple times too many and lost most of her duels. The Reign outworked and outnumbered the Current in the midfield and mostly kept them toothless, but they did occasionally find a moment by targeting James-Turner in isolation.
Jess Fishlock – 6 (off 82' for Ainsley McCammon)
Plus. In the first half, Jess Fishlock was a dynamic force in the attacking midfield, crashing into the space Maddie Mercado opened up and providing second- and third-chance opportunities on the chaos the Reign repeatedly created in the area. A sharp 9th-minute chance from close range forced a strong save out of Lorena. She appeared to score in the 38th minute, receiving the ball from Sam Meza, turning, and delivering a blistering strike that, after taking a slight deflection, crashed the underside of the crossbar and appeared to touch down past the goal line before bouncing out.
Though the Reign were incredulous, and emphatically gestured that the ball had crossed the line, Thomas Snyder waved play on, and VAR did not intervene.
Minus. After the break, Fishlock faded significantly. While she was still intermittently impactful through the 55th minute or so, and her savvy allowed her to find moments throughout, she had no legs left by the time she subbed off in the 82nd minute.
Sam Meza – 6 (off 67' for Sally Menti)
Plus. Meza had the would-be assist on the Reign's would-be fourth goal, setting up Fishlock centrally in space. Alas, it was not to be. What was to be: the buzzing, relentless midfield energy we've come to expect from Sam Meza, with three tackles, four interceptions, seven recoveries, and seven progressive passes. Meza consistently provided support to teammates across the middle of the park, making the numbers advantage the Reign were trying to create there really count.
She didn't get into it with quite as much energy as her standard in 2025, and merely won five of her nine duels, but remained involved and effective throughout her shift.
Minus. Merely winning five of her nine duels and misplaying a dozen or so passes is forgivable, and likely a matter of fatigue, as Meza – one of the most relentless and prolific runners on the team – had previously already covered a ton of ground against Orlando and Portland.
Forwards
Emeri Adames – 7 (off 82' for Nérilia Mondésir)
Plus. After review, Emeri Adames WAS awarded the assist on the Reign's opening goal, a lofted corner that may or may not have taken a slight deflection on route to dropping neatly at Angharad James-Turner's feet before, a moment later, kissing the back of the net. After the match, Huerta specifically called out Adames' adjustments for the game, and with good reason: her creativity and quickness have always served her well, but where in the recent past, Emeri could frequently run herself out of making a play and leave her teammates behind, against Kansas City, she was quick, decisive, and consistent in finding the right overlap, drop, or take-on to extend the attack.
It showed up on the stat sheet beyond the assist, with her three chances created, two touches in the attacking penalty area, three recoveries in the attacking third, and constant little movements off the ball that opened up more space for Sofia Huerta to work.
Minus. Only one assist? On a night when Sofia Huerta had two? Shaking my head.
Maddie Mercado – 8
Plus. And what a header it was! Sofia Huerta with the bending cross, Maddie Mercado rising to meet it, and just like that, the Reign had a three goal lead half an hour into the game. This was a statement match for Maddie, who had four shots, three inside the penalty area, two chances created, three successful dribbles, and a big damn goal to show for her target forward work.
But she also did the less glamorous dirty work at the tip of the spear, and she did it well: eight touches in the attacking penalty area, five recoveries, 10 duels won, and four different beautiful layoffs after holding up the first ball. Mercado looked, albeit against a rotated side, like the complete package. If she can do that consistently? Dang.
Minus. I can't believe Mercado didn't choose to score a second goal after Fishlock's would-be tally was waved off. Think of the vibes!
Brittany Ratcliffe – 7 (off 67' for Maddie Dahlien)
Plus. In the most productive season of her career to date, Brittany Ratcliffe scored three goals. So far in 2026, she's scored two goals. Her goal against Kansas City was a beauty, a first-timer off a hard run meeting an exquisitely weighted Huerta cross. She didn't get on the ball much, touching it just 17 times before subbing off for Maddie Dahlien, but she was efficient when she did, completing 8 of 10 passes, making the left corner of the attacking penalty area her home away from home, and providing unbalancing runs on the far post to make things hard on the defense.
At her current scoring pace, assuming Ratcliffe matches her career high for minutes, we can comfortably and safely assume she will score 21.4 goals this season. Brittany Ratcliffe Golden Boot, you heard it here first.
(The math is undeniable.)
Minus. A failed dribble where she could've laid the ball back to Mercado was a bit frustrating, but honestly, I'm still high on the Britt Boot train, so I don't even care.
Substitutes
Maddie Dahlien – 5 (on 67' for Brittany Ratcliffe, off 90' for Ryanne Brown)
Danger Maddie came on to put the fear of the counter in Kansas City, blitzed down the field several times, failed to connect her passes, succeeded at getting past her defenders, and, in general, created chaos but wasn't able to break down the Current for another dangerous chance.
Unfortunately, she also got tangled up a bit with Michelle Cooper early in her shift, and though she stayed on the pitch for a while after, she ultimately had to sub back off in the 90th minute.
Sally Menti – 5 (on 67' for Sam Meza)
Returning to the field for the first time this season, Menti gave the Reign 23+ hard-nosed minutes with six defensive contributions, five duels won, two successful dribbles, a lot of bodying up the opposition and slowing down their attacks, and... more missed passes than completed passes.
It was certainly a rusty appearance, but a high-effort one that showed no fear of Debinha, Izzy Rodriguez, or Croix Bethune, so I'm positively inclined towards it regardless.
Ainsley McCammon – N/A (on 82' for Jess Fishlock)
Ainsley played for around 10 minutes, had two clearances and an interception, won a free kick, and showed plenty of killing-off-the-game instincts where they were warranted. She mostly made her seven touches count for something.
Nérilia Mondésir – N/A (on 82' for Emeri Adames)
Coco also played for around 10 minutes, touched the ball seven times, and made a nuisance of herself. Getting into five duels in 10 minutes, even losing four of them, showed a commendable degree of grind them out like sandpaper effort, as she refused to make anything easy on an increasingly desperate Current side.
Ryanne Brown – N/A (on 90' for Maddie Dahlien)
Ryanne Brown played for stoppage time, touched the ball twice, and completed no passes, but did boot the hell out of a ball to end a spell of pressure.
Current POTM
Lo'eau Labonta
The 58th minute substitute for the Current provided them with a little bit of desperately needed ball control in the Reign's defensive third, and provided them with thankless runs and hard defensive contributions. Her pressure forced Madison Curry to stay back more than she had in the first half, which helped mute some of the consistent far-post numbers advantages the Reign had created prior to that point.
Referee
Timothy Snyder – 5
On initial watch, like most Reign fans, I was pretty incensed at Snyder, but time (well, two days, anyway), distance, and winning the game resoundingly anyway have softened my stance some. I would, in the future, like Snyder to make use of his cards more judiciously to calm down hard and repeated tackles. But otherwise?
While I think there's at least a reasonable possibility that Jess Fishlock's strike crossed the goal line, without a definitive camera angle or goal-line technology to demonstrate as much, Snyder can only call what he saw and what the VAR officials can find images of. Disappointing, but not a dereliction of duty. I do think the Reign should have had a penalty in the 45th minute, but I can't feel too aggrieved – handling, as a rule, is fundamentally broken, IFAB's constant flailing has failed to fix it for several consecutive years, and we're not going to get consistent outcomes until we take away the subjectivity and overwrought game leverage currently invested in the rule.
I have no idea where eight minutes of second-half stoppage time came from, and I hope that doesn't presage a return to last season's truly unhinged added time problem. This is a no-nonsense league, after all. We should avoid that nonsense.
And Another Thing!
It feels good to win. The Reign should do that again.
