Alana Cook returns to OL Reign on permanent transfer

The ranks of USWNT players at OL Reign are yet again growing, with the club announcing today the permanent transfer of defender Alana Cook from Paris Saint-Germain. Cook is signed with the Reign through 2023, with a club option for 2024. She had previously played with OL Reign during the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup on a short-term loan from the French club, where she made three appearances for 270 minutes.

“I’m extremely excited to be coming back to the Reign,” said Cook in a team release. “My first time playing for the Reign over the summer for the Challenge Cup, I really enjoyed myself. The group was amazing, staff and players alike, so I’m just very excited to be getting back in with the group and hopefully get going pretty quickly and get aligned with the goals of the club and the goals of the team.”

Cook, a native of Massachusetts and graduate of Stanford, first signed with PSG in early 2019 and made 21 league appearances for 1,630 minutes in her time there, as well as nine UEFA Champions League appearances, including scoring a goal this year against eventual tournament champions FC Barcelona. PSG took second place in Division 1 Féminine in each of Cook’s first two seasons before winning the 2020/21 league title on Friday for the first time in their history, outpacing 14-time defending champion Olympique Lyonnais.

“I think coming into PSG, part of my mission here was sharing their general outlook of wanting to be the best in France, the best in Europe and I think over the two and a half years I’ve been here, that’s what we have been moving towards,” Cook said about her time with PSG.

While she began her career in the centerback position, Cook recently moved into the right back spot for PSG — giving the Reign additional fullback depth.

Cook was recently called into the USWNT for their Summer Series friendlies next week against Portugal, Jamaica and Nigeria, where she will join new club teammates Megan Rapinoe and Rose Lavelle and will look to impress coach Vlatko Andonovski as he makes final decisions on his 18-player Olympic roster. She has two prior senior team caps, as well as past experience with the USWNT U-17 and U-23 teams. Cook will report to Tacoma after the June international window concludes.

“We are very excited to have Alana joining our team again after her time at PSG,” said OL Reign head coach Farid Benstiti. “She will be a great addition to the team and will help us towards the goal of winning our first NWSL Championship. She is a player that will increase our quality of play on the field and add depth to our roster.”