Seattle Reign wrapped up a three-game road trip with a Saturday evening visit to Bay FC in San Jose, an opponent they had never previously defeated. The script was similar to recent weeks, with the Reign scoring early and continuing to look rejuvenated coming out of the World Cup break. However, once again the team struggled to turn that momentum into a full-game performance, and Bay fought back to level the score at 2-2 midway through the second half before a late Jess Fishlock goal secured all three points for the Reign.
Seattle started brightly once again, with Mia Fishel scoring in the 5th minute. Maddie Dahlien found joy behind Bay’s fullbacks, took the ball to the endline, and sent in a cross which Fishel redirected with the outside of her boot and through Bay goalkeeper Jordan Silkowitz’s legs for her first Reign goal in open play. Dahlien got a goal of her own just six minutes later off a similar play where she got behind the defense and was able to fire a shot far post.
It once again felt like the Reign might run rampant, but just 2 minutes later, Hannah Bebar was able to dribble unchallenged through the middle of the Reign midfield and launched an absolute rocket from 20 yards out which snuck in the upper corner. Bay thought they had an equalizer in the 23rd minute, but video review showed that goalscorer Dorian Bailey had come back from an offside position during the scramble before her shot. Both sides had a couple of decent looks to close out the half, but the Reign carried the 2-1 lead into the break.
During another nailbiter of a second half, Bay came close to scoring several times before finally getting their breakthrough in the 75th minute off a bit of set piece trickery. After playing the kick short rather than into the mixer, a completely unmarked Keira Barry received the ball on the left side of goal and had ample time to line up and strike a perfect shot past Claudia Dickey and into the far side netting.
It was starting to feel like when the Reign blew a two-goal lead at Gotham, but instead of conceding a third goal late, this time it was Seattle who dug in and found one more. Jess Fishlock entered the match and immediately made an impact when Emeri Adames chipped a ball over the Bay defense and she was able to chase it down and calmly slot it to Silkowitz’s right for the game-winner.
WHAT WORKED: Another hot start
For the fourth game in a row Seattle came out blazing and scored two goals in the first half. Maddie Dahlien was feasting on the Bay fullbacks, contributing to both goals the Reign scored in the opening 10 minutes and nearly adding another assist in the 18th minute with a very similar cross to Mia Fishel.
Maddie Dahlien ➡️ Mia Fishel 🤌 Maddie Dahlien perfectly serves it up for Mia Fishel to finish it off into the net 👏
— NWSL (@nwslsoccer.com) 5:58 PM · Aug 1, 2026
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Dahlien clearly learned from her scuffed shot on a breakaway last week, taking a better first touch after getting behind the defender and setting herself up for a left-footed strike across the face of goal.
Maddie Dahlien gets a goal of her own! 💪 The Seattle Reign is up 2-0!
— NWSL (@nwslsoccer.com) 6:01 PM · Aug 1, 2026
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WHAT WORKED: Reign super subs
Just when it looked like the Reign were going to choke away more points, some timely substitutions changed their fortunes. In the 85th minute, substitute Emeri Adames lofted a well-weighted pass over the Bay defense and into the path of Jess Fishlock, who had just entered the match moments before. Fishlock’s first touch of the game gave her some separation from the pursing defenders, and her second touch was to fire the ball past Silkowitz to score her 50th NWSL regular-season goal.
JESS FISHLOCK WITH INSTANT IMPACT 💥 Jess Fishlock subs into the match and puts the Seattle Reign up 3-2!
— NWSL (@nwslsoccer.com) 7:38 PM · Aug 1, 2026
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Fishlock did come up lame a few minutes later and appeared to be grasping her hamstring during the final moments of the match, but head coach Laura Harvey didn’t yet have an update on her status during postgame comments.
WHAT DIDN’T WORK: Keeping a foot on the gas
In what has become a frustrating recurring theme for the Reign during this run of goal scoring prowess, the team seems to switch off after taking a lead and struggles to see out games comfortably. This time the lapses came early, with the Reign midfield giving Hannah Bebar space to dribble and only making half-hearted challenges. Bebar’s shot was a pinpoint rocket, but she shouldn’t have had the time to get into that position to begin with.
Hannah Bebar's first professional NWSL goal! Hannah Bebar's perfect touch puts Bay FC on the board!
— NWSL (@nwslsoccer.com) 6:03 PM · Aug 1, 2026
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The Reign were fortunate that Bay’s potential first-half equalizer was called back for offside after a scramble in the box where once again they were struggling to clear the ball. The second half started with more of the same, with Seattle registering one shot three minutes into the half and not taking another until the 72nd minute, while Bay continually probed the Reign defensive lines looking for a weakness to exploit. Their breakthrough finally came off an unusual set-piece play where the defense left Keira Barry completely unmarked near the corner of the box.
KEIRA BARRY WITH THE EQUALIZER! 🟰 Keira Barry finds the net to tie Bay FC with the Seattle Reign 2-2!
— NWSL (@nwslsoccer.com) 7:31 PM · Aug 1, 2026
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Quotes
“We knew the goals were going to come”
Mia Fishel came to the Reign with high expectations, and her first half-season and the start of this season were somewhat frustrating as she dealt with some injuries and a string of bad finishing luck which left some people wondering if she wasn’t quite settled in. Fishel put those thoughts to bed with her recent goals.
“I’ve felt settled in for a long time,” she said. “We knew the goals were going to come. I feel like we’ve been consistent in our performances and how we’ve been wanting to play; we’ve been showing it in training and now it’s showing on the field so that’s been amazing.”
“That’s our growth area”
Head coach Laura Harvey talked postgame about the team’s struggles to calmly see games out in recent weeks, and how the team has focused on identifying and addressing the issues leading to that. She felt that today’s win was a big step forward for the team in finding a way to reclaim momentum.
“That’s been a big thing for us in recent weeks, we’ve had two-nil leads, we’ve given them up, and when we haven’t [given them up] we’ve obviously got the points,” she noted. “So today will be a big growth area for us, to go two-nil up, for the opponent to equalize, and then for us get the winner, that shows the growth we’re trying to – I don’t think we’re there yet, but that’s our growth area, is how can we see games out, how can we shift momentum back to us when an opponent has it.”
The win lifts the Reign to a three-way tie for 8th place with 23 points, behind Angel City for the final playoff spot but ahead of Orlando on goal differential. The Reign host Angel City next Sunday on the newly restored turf at Lumen Field. That game kicks off at 6 PM PT and will air on ESPN.
