Just when things looked their darkest, at the dawn of the fifth day 84th minute, Jess Fishlock made her return, charging through Bay FC's line and striking home the winning goal in a match the Reign wholly deserved to win but had, to that moment, looked agonizingly close to drawing or even losing.
It was just the third second-half goal for the Reign all season, and it was almost definitely the most important of them.
This wasn't just the Jess Fishlock show, by any means, though. The Reign got off to another lightning-fast start, scoring two first-half goals for the fourth time in four games: Mia Fishel finally got her moment, meeting Maddie Dahlien's cutback service with a darting diagonal run to soft-touch the ball home, and then Dahlien got one for herself four minutes later, slicing into the heart of the Bay penalty area and cracking one to Jordan Silkowitz's far post.
And that was just the first 10 minutes!
Bay fought back, finding their first goal in the 13th, finding the apparent equalizer in the 23rd only to see it (correctly) called back for Dorian Bailey's fairly obvious interference in the play from an offside position, and then settled into a long fight of attrition, trading chances and challenges with the Reign until midway through the second half, when Keira Barry got free on the end of a cleverly executed set piece and made no mistake with the ball.
2-2, a big lead blown, an exhausted side on the road, and where would the reinforcements come from? But then, in the east, with the light of a new day, came the ageless, the original, the irreplaceable Jess Fishlock at the turning of the tide.
But before we dive into Bay FC, one quick aside...
What about San Diego?
The unfortunate answer is your second-favorite match ratings columnist on Sounder At Heart got COVID. I did rewatch and rate the match, but converting notes and numbers into a full column was more mental energy than I was able to muster in the time available. I've included the numbers below, for the sake of completeness, and in case anybody would like to yell at me about them.
- Goalkeeper: Claudia Dickey – 10 (POTM and the real 2025 GKOTY)
- Defenders: Ryanne Brown – 6, Phoebe McClernon – 6, Jordyn Bugg – 7, Sofia Huerta – 6
- Midfielders: Ainsley McCammon – 8, Sally Menti – 6, Sam Meza – 7
- Forwards: Maddie Mercado – 7, Mia Fishel – 6, Maddie Dahlien – 6
- Substitutes: Madison Curry – 5, Emeri Adames – 5, Angharad James-Turner – N/A, Emily Mason – N/A, Holly Ward – N/A
- Wave POTM: Gia Corley
- Referee: Mark Verso – 5
In short: a masterclass in playing against the ball, a clinic in finishing the chances you do create, and a hang-it-in-the-Louvre performance by the best goalkeeper in the league. Oh, and Sam Meza once again won a ludicrous number of duels.
And now, without further delay, ratings for your Seattle Reign FC's second consecutive win, fourth consecutive match scoring multiple goals, and first instant-impact goal off the bench by Jess Fishlock since the last time she did that.
Goalkeeper
Claudia Dickey – 5
And right after I noted her as the best goalkeeper in the league, too. In seriousness: this is a bit tyranny of high expectations, as Dickey was basically fine. Both goals against her were well-taken – the second was a training ground routine executed to perfection and hard to hold against anybody, but she was slow to read the first one. Notwithstanding the good placement and audacious position of goalscorer Hannah Bebar, on a good day, Claudia gets to that shot significantly more often than she lets it past. And since Bay didn't put all that many shots to her net (just 3 in total), she didn't have many opportunities to shake it off and do better.
It's worth noting that Claudia was also quite solid and steady with the ball at her feet, finding the pass she needed to with confidence, and came up aggressively for balls in the air to disrupt set pieces. I liked the certainty and poise, and Dickey's shown a lot of both since her return from injury.
Defenders
Ryanne Brown – 5 (off 68' for Madison Curry)
After a very strong performance against San Diego, Ryanne also had just a bit of a down match of her own. Which is to say – she was still quite effective shuttling the ball on the right flank, completing 77% of her passes and adding 3 progressive passes and 5 final third entries into the mix, providing some balance to Sofia Huerta's characteristically aggressive heat map on the other side. Her defensive involvement was sometimes lacking, however, and she had a few turnovers in bad spots, gave up a free kick I'd really rather not see again, and got caught marking space instead of marking Caroline Conti or Claire Hutton more than once.
The Reign were heavily lopsided to the left in possession, thanks to a strong game by Huerta and a blazing performance by Maddie Dahlien, which left Brown in a role of providing cross-field support and defensive cover much of the time. While she didn't necessarily have a defining moment that leaped off the pitch and secured points, she did an admirable job at what every player has to do sometimes: the unglamorous work that keeps the wheels turning but doesn't get your name called on the broadcast.
Phoebe McClernon – 7
Bay FC had the lion's share of the possession and more touches in the attacking penalty area than the Reign, but nonetheless fewer shots, far fewer shots on target, and far fewer high-leverage chances. Why was that, one may ask? One big reason is Phoebe McClernon's bellowing declaration of you cannot pass. She finished the match with a ridiculous 11 defensive contributions, including 7 clearances, 5 of 6 duels won, a blocked shot, an interception, and a near-complete erasure of center forward Kennedy Fuller.
In possession, McClernon was a little bit more wasteful, with several of her long passes underbaked and going for mid-range turnovers instead, though she still completed 83% of her passes overall and had some big steps into space to help jumpstart the Reign into their attacking shape.
Jordyn Bugg – 6
An absolute menace in the air, Jordyn Bugg won one hundred percent of her aerial duels against Bay FC's hapless forward corps, effortlessly turning them back time after time. Second only to McClernon, her 10 defensive contributions were cornerstones in the brick wall that Bay couldn't resolve (other than on that one irritatingly good set piece), with 8 clearances and 2 blocked shots to render their routine forays into the penalty area routinely meaningless.
Completing 83% of her passes overall, Bugg shared an affliction with McClernon, curiously underbaking a number of long balls we've seen her effortlessly complete in the past. However, her passing vision and attacking instincts still did pay some dividends, finishing the match with a good chance created and a good chance of her own off a corner.
Sofia Huerta – 6
With more touches than any other Reign player and a heat map that simply encompassed the entire left touchline, Huerta was an active marauder from the opening whistle, and Bay FC often didn't know what to do with her. The answer they landed on most frequently was foul, and Huerta won three free kicks (and two other instances of advantage) throughout the match. Sof didn't let that marauding catch her out of position, either, making hard recovery runs to cut out Bay's counter, clocking 4 defensive contributions and winning 3 of 5 defensive duels along the way.
Though not putting in the danger crosses we've grown accustomed to, she was an active and influential part of the buildup, her 7 progressive passes springing Maddie Dahlien, Sally Menti, and Mia Fishel into action time after time. She called her own number once, on a free kick at the end of the first half, which forced a decent save out of Silkowitz but would've never been favored to score.
Midfielders
Ainsley McCammon – 6
After a game-defining performance against San Diego, Ainsley came down to earth a bit against Bay FC, but was still absolutely everywhere, putting out fires and starting some fires of her own, with 5 recoveries and a heat map that literally spanned the entire field, touchline to touchline, penalty box to penalty box.
Those effortless, clipping passes that can demolish a back line weren't quite coming off for her, and she finished with just 57% pass completion overall, but she found ways to be effective advancing the ball even so, finishing with 7 progressive passes and a half-dozen overlapping runs that opened up Menti and Fishel for more combination play. My notebook was overflowing with markers for moments McCammon made the hard, unselfish off the ball play to create space for someone else. It's a dimension of her game that's really expanding, with pleasing results.
And I mean, come on. This is ridiculous.
Sally Menti – 6 (off 68' for Nérilia Mondésir)
I've taken to calling Sally Menti a "false ten", though I'm not wholly sure she fits that mold either. Nevertheless, what she's been doing for the Reign in the attacking midfield is undeniably effective, turning a relatively low-volume play style (she had just 30 touches and 10 completed passes) into a shockingly high level of impact (3 progressive passes, 1 chance created, 4 shot-creating actions, 2 free kicks won, 3 tackles won in the attacking third) that the Reign have been able to build out around.
While Menti's defense has taken a big step forward this season, her off the ball movement – which was already good – has taken an even bigger one. She and McCammon are finding so much joy overlapping, underlapping, swapping positions, and confusing the hell out of opposing defenses. Menti's understanding of attacking space is exceptional, and her increased attention to defensive shape seems to have also translated into an increased attention to how to break an opponent's defensive shape. I'm really keen to see how far she can take this role.
Sam Meza – 6
Heading into the match, Sam Meza was the league leader in both tackles and duels, so naturally all she did was win 3 more tackles and get into 15 more duels. Sam Meza loves to duel people, and I love to watch it. With 6 defensive contributions, 2 recoveries, and some increasingly drift-compatible interplay with her midfield partners, Meza turned in another solid outing blowing things up for the opposition and ratcheting up the pressure in possession.
All that said, while the effort was there, Hannah Bebar got the best of her several times, and she had a hard time keeping up with Claire Hutton out of possession. Meza got into 15 duels, but won just 6 of them, and gave up 4 fouls overall, and fully deserved the yellow card she saw. The thing about Meza, though, is her floor appears to be an average-plus defensive midfield outing, and her ceiling is outright redefining what the position can do. You can nitpick specifics sometimes, but you can't ask for more than she gives.
Forwards
Maddie Mercado – 6 (off 84' for Jess Fishlock)
It's a bit of a letdown, these days, when Maddie Mercado doesn't score something kind of ridiculous, isn't it? But don't let that discourage you. Mercado was active, effective, and continues to look the real damn deal as a wide forward / right winger, both finding good opportunities (per FotMob, her two shots totaled 0.79 xGOT) and putting in the work to blunt Bay's danger (with 6 recoveries and 5 duels) on the break.
She took two shots, and both required big stops to even keep the game in reach for Bay. The first, off a 9th minute set piece, she got foot around from 7 yards out and drove it low but not quite out of Silkowitz's reach. The second, in the 34th minute, came through a nifty bit of buildup, ending in a nicely elevated strike from the top of the penalty area. Mercado finds such an interesting variety of shots, and has a nose for danger. She's been killing it, and finding chances this good at this rate, she should continue killing it for the foreseeable future.
Mia Fishel – 7 (off 70' for Emeri Adames)
It finally happened for her, and I'm so damned happy. Through much of the season, but especially over the last seven games or so, Fishel has been finding one big chance after another only to see them end as highlight-reel saves or glance just wide of the woodwork. This time, six minutes in, she found the big chance on a darting diagonal run and coolly redirected Maddie Dahlien's dagger of a cutback into the net, for her second Reign goal and first from the run of play. She had another big chance on the break in the 28th minute, taking a crack at it from near the penalty spot, but unfortunately put it wide.
In many ways, Fishel's job is unglamorous – when she's not bagging the goal, much of her time is spent scrapping and bodying up the back line, creating space, opening lanes. She (once again) did that exceedingly well, winning a majority of her 7 duels against Joelle Anderson and Aldana Cometti and being the nuisance you want to see in the world when Maddie Dahlien carved into the area for the Reign's second goal. But getting that goal of her own on top of the good, hard, thankless work she does every match – that's gotta be a weight off, and hopefully it's the first of many.
Maddie Dahlien – 8 (POTM) (off 82' for Brittany Ratcliffe)
If there was any lingering lack of confidence after the missed opportunities against Gotham, they're surely gone after an outing like this. Danger Maddie was the defining figure of the first half, scorching Bay FC's left defense over and over again, never giving up on a ball, finding a way to turn the ordinary into the extra. It was pure effort and refusal to give up that created the first goal for the Reign, as Maddie beat her defender for position twice, played havoc on the endline, and cut back a dagger to a streaking Mia Fishel to open the scoring. And it was the blazing run and technical finish of a player feeling herself that doubled the Reign's lead four minutes later with a beauty of a shot to Silkowitz' far post.
Dahlien created 3 chances, including the biggest chance of the match to Fishel, had 7 touches in the attacking penalty area, completed 13 of 16 passes, and was up to the moment every time she had the chance to run downhill. Sure, she wasn't all that involved defensively, but that's almost entirely a product of Huerta locking things down and the Reign's shape allowing her to attack from a high starting position and light the touchline on fire. This is what making Maddie Dahlien's strengths work for us looks like at its best, and if the Reign can unlock this regularly, that left side is going to be a problem for everybody who faces it.
Substitutes
Madison Curry – 5 (on 68' for Ryanne Brown)
Working her way back to full fitness, Madison Curry covered the last quarter of the match for Ryanne Brown, and while her touch and passing were a bit off, she brought one hundred percent of the fight-for-every-ball, tackle-'em-all-and-let-God-sort-it-out energy we've come to know and love. In 22+ minutes, she won 3 tackles, won 3 of 3 duels, notched an interception, a clearance, and a recovery in helping keep Bay out of the danger areas, and really only got beaten once, on an irritatingly good set piece routine.
Nérilia Mondésir – 5 (on 68' for Sally Menti)
Perhaps looking to get Hannah Bebar a little more under control, Harvey gave Coco the nod for Menti in the 68th minute. Mondésir fought hard for the ball, but honestly, it was Hannah Bebar's night and nothing was about to change that, and she wound up going 1 for 7 on duels and giving up 3 fouls and a yellow card in her relatively short shift. I don't want to frame that as all that negative, though. Coco's scrapping and intensity served a purpose of slowing and gumming up Bay's midfield progression, and sometimes you need that. Also, despite attempting just 4 passes and finding just 8 touches... she created a chance in transition and had a funny little squeaker of a shot from distance that didn't ultimately trouble Silkowitz but could've gone anywhere, and is absolutely the sort of shot you don't mind a midfielder Trying Out in the dying phases of a game.
Emeri Adames – 6 (on 70' for for Mia Fishel)
Playing for 20+ minutes, Adames covered for Fishel apparently picking up a slight knock (fortunately) during the open substitution window, and didn't do much other than deliver a beauty of a ball to Jess Fishlock to secure the Reign's second consecutive win and third in four. I mean, my god, what a ball. After a solid and occasionally electric 2025 campaign, Adames hasn't been as involved for the 2026 Reign, but this was an exclamation point moment, a real reminder of the quickness of thought, technical quality, and audacity that speaks to how special a player she can be.
Brittany Ratcliffe – N/A (on 82' for Maddie Dahlien)
Brought on shortly after the Reign conceded what felt like a real dagger of a tying goal, Ratcliffe pushed high up the pitch, got 8 touches to the ball, found a moment in the penalty area but couldn't get a shot away, and looked like she'd have another substitute performance where her hard work had no real rewards... and then the Reign took back the lead through Jess Fishlock's welcome-back banger, and Brittany picked up another gear, throwing herself into challenges, winning a tackle and 2 of 3 duels as she left it all on the field for the last few minutes to make sure that goal held up.
Jess Fishlock – 7 (on 84' for Maddie Mercado)
As longtime readers may have noted, I largely decline to assign numerical ratings for substitutes who play fewer than 10 minutes. You have to do something pretty impactful, one way or the other, to get a number for a cameo.
So naturally, Jess Fishlock stepped onto the field for the first time in months and barely a minute later beat the entire Bay FC back line to a ball over the top, smoothly headed it to herself, and struck it past Jordan Silkowitz with her next touch for a banger of a winning goal before the defense could recover and put pressure on her. It was just the 3rd second-half goal for the Reign all season, and likely the most-needed of them, instantly transfiguring the vibes from blowing another lead to 9 points in 4.
Bay FC POTM
Hannah Bebar
The goal was well-taken, but the pass on that perfectly executed set piece routine? Come on. And she drew four free kicks, a yellow card, and several advantages that Bay... mostly failed to secure anything out of, but hey, what are you gonna do. Anyway, without Bebar's influence, the Reign likely as not cruise to a 2-0 or 3-0 win in this one, rather than having to gut-check for a late winner off the bench. She did a little bit of everything, and she did it all well.
Referee
Alyssa Pennington – 8
The previous (and first) time Alyssa Pennington was CR for a Reign match, I gave her a rather exasperated 3 after rewatching a cavalcade of uncalled fouls, un-shown yellow cards, and inexplicably ignored penalties, which, nonetheless, probably did not change the outcome of a game in which the Reign were beaten like a drum by a superior Gotham side. I link back to this primarily as context – it was only Pennington's fourth ever NWSL match at the center, and I finished her section with:
She has to do better than this going forward.
And friends, she really, really did. This time around, Pennington called one of the better matches I've seen from a PRO referee, making confident and judicious use of her whistle and showing the yellows that players very much earned, two to Bay and three to the Reign.
I particularly liked that she was willing to both call advantage and come back to the spot if advantage didn't really materialize. I liked that she protected Hannah Bebar, whom the Reign did, admittedly, start laying some heavy challenges on as she took over more and more of the game for Bay. And I liked that she was clear, concise, and animated in communicating her calls to the players: when the cheese came out for Meza, Conti, and Bailey there was no doubt about why.
Because NWSL can't live without a whiff of controversy, she also consulted with the VAR and, after review, called back Bay's first apparent tying goal for offside. While the national announcers were scandalized by the call, it was correctly adjudicated per IFAB's current guidance; an attempted defensive touch to the ball while under pressure from an offside player does not reset offside.
She did show a somewhat soft card to Mondésir, the sort of yellow that Coco has seen with some frequency but seldom gotten the benefit of. Even there, I can't really hold it against Alyssa, who pulled that card in the context of a game she was keeping a steady rudder on, navigating the narrow passage of allowing physicality and presence while keeping the challenges safely in hand.
...I promise I won't write this much about the referee next time.
And Another Thing!
I know things seemed a little bleak coming out of the break, but the Reign have largely been cooking for the last five games. They're on the cusp of a playoff spot as it is, but winning their games in hand would see them leapfrog several teams, and potentially put them in position for the 4th/5th spot. If they can continue to refine seeing out their leads and adding danger in the closing phases of games, in a league of margins this narrow, they should be able to take more points and shock some fools.
Notably, they've found a way to consistently create dangerous chances since moving Menti to an inexplicably low volume / high impact "false ten" (?) role, and with Bugg and Dickey rounding back into form, Brown back in the rotation, Curry working her way back to full fitness, and Dahlien finding her danger boots, there's a much better team here than the general prognosticator might notice.
Which isn't to say the Reign are a complete product. As during the bleak periods, we have to take a clear look at what we do and don't have, and we have to look at where the team can improve. A true attacking midfielder that can drive impact moments at a higher volume than they’re currently creating (Menti's recent run of strong work in the middle of the pitch notwithstanding) could catapult this team from a tough, competitive out towards actually elite status, and we should be searching for that.
...or, as I've often said, we could simply sign Yui Hasegawa.
