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OL Reign has added former UCLA midfielder Olivia Athens to their roster on a one-year contract with an option for 2023, the club announced on Friday. Athens was eligible for the 2021 NWSL Draft but went unselected, meaning she was available to be signed via the Discovery Process.
“Olivia is a valuable addition to the team,” said head coach Laura Harvey in a team release. “She knows how to compete in big games, and we are really looking forward to seeing her development on the field.”
With the Bruins, Athens made 67 starts and 85 appearances overall, scoring 12 goals and assisting on 15 others. In her final year at UCLA, she earned All-Pacific Region honors and Second-Team All-Pac-12 honors. Athens also has experience with the USWNT U-18 team, having participated in the Six Nations Tournament in Spain in 2016.
“What an honor to begin my professional career at OL Reign! I am grateful for the opportunity to learn from this incredible coaching staff and group of players and am humbled to get to be a part of this great club. Excited for this journey to begin,” said Athens.
With this signing, OL Reign now have 18 players under contract for next year, plus new contract offers still pending for Lauren Barnes and Jess Fishlock. In addition, Quinn, Rose Lavelle, and Megan Rapinoe remain with the team as 2021 Federation players, with their 2022 statuses to be confirmed at a later date due to the termination of the Federation player system.