 | |||
| Founded | November 21, 2012 (2012-11-21)[1] | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Stadium | Lumen Field Seattle, Washington | ||
| Capacity | 10,000[i] | ||
| Owners | The Carlyle Group (majority) Seattle Sounders FC | ||
| Governor | Adrian Hanauer | ||
| Head coach | Laura Harvey | ||
| League | National Women's Soccer League | ||
| 2025 | Regular season: 5th of 14 Playoffs: Quarterfinals | ||
| Website | reignfc.com | ||
 Current season | |||
Seattle Reign FC, previously known asReign FC andOL Reign, is an American professionalsoccer team based inSeattle, Washington, that competes in theNational Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Founded in 2012, it is one of eight inaugural members of the NWSL. Since June 2024, the Reign are owned by the private equity firmthe Carlyle Group andMajor League Soccer clubSeattle Sounders FC.[3] The team has reached theNWSL Championship three times (2014, 2015, 2023), losing each time.
In 2020,OL Groupe, theparent company of French clubsOlympique Lyonnais andOlympique Lyonnais Féminin, became the team's majority owner and the team played asOL Reign from 2020 to 2023.[4][5]Laura Harvey is the team's head coach; she led the team to two consecutiveNWSL Shield wins in 2014 and 2015 and a third in 2022.[6]
Seattle Reign FC has played its home matches atLumen Field since 2022. The team previously played at theStarfire Sports Complex inTukwila (2013), atMemorial Stadium (2014–2018), and atCheney Stadium inTacoma (2019–2021).
Although Seattle never had a professional women's soccer team in theWomen's United Soccer Association norWomen's Professional Soccer (WPS) during either league's existence, the city was home toSeattle Sounders Women, aUSL W-League team mainly composed of amateur players that was affiliated withSeattle Sounders FC ofMajor League Soccer; following news of the imminent demise of WPS in January 2012, a handful of players from theUnited States women's national soccer team (USWNT) joined the Sounders Women for part of the 2012 W-League season.The Athletic cited the resulting close relationship between the Sounders Women and theUnited States Soccer Federation (USSF) in conditioning the USWNT players, along with significant fan interest generated during their stint with the team, as major factors that led the USSF to consider Seattle as a viable candidate for a team in a new professional league.[7]
In response to the demise of WPS, the USSF announced in June that it would found a new professional women's soccer league (later namedNational Women's Soccer League) and invite prospective team owners to submit applications.[8] Bill Predmore, founder and CEO of Seattle-based digital marketing agency, POP, submitted his application pitch for a team tentatively named Seattle Sirens FC.[9] In November 2012, it was confirmed that Predmore's application had been accepted and there would be a Seattle-based women's professional soccer team in 2013.[1][10] On December 19, 2012, the team name was unveiled as Seattle Reign FC, named in honor of the 1990sSeattle Reign women's basketball team.[11] Amy Carnell, a former general manager of the Sounders Women and Sounders FC's director of youth programs, was named general manager of the Reign.[12]
On December 21, 2012, the team announcedLaura Harvey as its first head coach. Harvey was head coach ofArsenal L.F.C. from 2010–2012 after serving as an assistant for two years, assisted and then coachedBirmingham City L.F.C. from 2002 to 2008, and served as an assistant coach for England'sU-17,U-19 andU-23 women's national teams from 2005 to 2011.[13] Before the regular season, Harvey took over as general manager after Amy Carnell resigned.[14]
On January 11, 2013,Kaylyn Kyle,Teresa Noyola,Megan Rapinoe,Amy Rodriguez,Jenny Ruiz,Hope Solo, andEmily Zurrer were named to the team as part of theNWSL Player Allocation.[15][16][17] On January 18, the Reign selectedChristine Nairn, Mallory Schaffer,Kristen Meier, andHaley Kopmeyer at the2013 NWSL College Draft.[18][19] On February 4, 2013, it was announced that the team had signed four free agents:Kate Deines,Jess Fishlock,Tiffany Cameron, andLindsay Taylor.[20] During the2013 NWSL Supplemental Draft, the team selectedNikki Krzysik,Lauren Barnes,Laura Heyboer,Liz Bogus,Michelle Betos andKaley Fountain.[21]
Leading into the preseason, it was learned that the Reign would be without all of their American allocated players for almost half of the season. Amy Rodriguez announced she was pregnant with her first child and would not be playing during the inaugural season.[22] Hope Solo would be away for the first part of the season after recovering from wrist surgery and Megan Rapinoe had already signed with French clubOlympique Lyonnais from January to June and would miss at least nine games.[23][24] After traveling to Japan in the preseason to play matches against defending L. League championINAC Kobe Leonessa,Fukuoka J. Anclas, andNojima Stella Kanagawa,[25] the Reign faced their first regular season match against theChicago Red Stars atBenedictine University, in which Seattle'sfirst college draft pickChristine Nairn scored the Reign's first goal of the season via a header off an assist fromLiz Bogus.[26] The point that Seattle earned in the game would be its only for the next nine games.[27]
In June 2013, head coachLaura Harvey began making some trades and signing new international players. With the trades and the return of Solo and Rapinoe, the Reign began to turn the season around with a 1–1 tie against theWestern New York Flash.[28] The game would be the first of a six-game undefeated streak for the Reign with two ties and four wins.[29] After losing to regional rival Portland Thorns FC 2–1 in the season finale in front of a sold-out crowd of 3,855, the Reign ended the2013 NWSL season seventh in the league with a 5–14–3 record.[30]
During the 2014 season, the Reign set a league record unbeaten streak of 16 games. During the 16-game stretch, the Reign compiled a 13–0–3 record. The streak came to an end July 12, 2014, in a match against theChicago Red Stars that ended 1–0 in favor of the Red Stars.[31] The team finished first in the regular season clinching theNWSL Shield for the first time.[32] After defeating theWashington Spirit 2–1 in the playoff semifinals, the Reign was defeated 2–1 byFC Kansas City during the championship final.[33] Following the regular season, the team earned several league awards.Kim Little won the Golden Boot[34] and Most Valuable Player awards;[35]Laura Harvey was named Coach of the Year;[36]Kendall Fletcher,Jess Fishlock, Little andNahomi Kawasumi were named to the NWSL Best XI team while goalkeeperHope Solo and defenders Lauren Barnes andStephanie Cox were named to the Second XI team.[37]
The Reign finished the 2015 season in first place clinching theNWSL Shield for the second consecutive time.[38] After defeating theWashington Spirit 3–0 in a playoff semifinal, the Reign was defeated 1–0 byFC Kansas City during the championship final in Portland.[39] Following the regular season, the team earned several league award nominations. Kim Little, Jess Fishlock, andBev Yanez were nominated for league Most Valuable Player, Laura Harvey was nominated for Coach of the Year; and Lauren Barnes andKendall Fletcher were nominated for Defender of the Year.[40]
Laura Harvey was ultimately named Coach of the Year for a second consecutive year.[41] Barnes, Little, Yanez, and Fishlock were named to the NWSL Best XI team while Kendall Fletcher,Stephanie Cox, Megan Rapinoe, andKeelin Winters were named to the Second XI team.[42]
The Reign finished the 2016 season in fifth place with a8–6–8 record, narrowly missing a playoff spot by two points.[43] The season was complicated by a number of players being unavailable during the early part of the season due to injury includingManon Melis,[44]Jess Fishlock[45] andMegan Rapinoe.[46] In early July,Nahomi Kawasumi returned to the Reign for the first time since the 2014 season and scored a brace in her first match with the team.[47]Rachel Corsie andHaley Kopmeyer suffered injuries during a match in July against theWestern New York Flash that was controversially played on a baseball field.[48][49] Schedule changes from previous years were announced in February that resulted in an imbalance amongst team matchups.[50]
In late August, the Reign announced thatHope Solo was taking a leave of absence for the remainder of the season after being suspended from the U.S. national team.[51] In September, four-year team captainKeelin Winters announced her retirement for the end of the season.[52] On October 17, midfielderKim Little announced that she would leave the Reign and return toArsenal. Harvey said Little was given an "incredible offer" of a multi-year contract, though no other details were disclosed.[53]
Following the loss of core players Kim Little and Keelin Winters following the 2016 season, the Reign faced a bit of re-structuring for the2017 season. Three2017 NWSL College Draft rookies were signed including defenderMaddie Bauer, forwardKatie Johnson, and midfielderKristen McNabb. With Kim Little moving back to Arsenal, the Reign re-signed attacking midfielderChristine Nairn, who had played for the team during its inaugural season.[54] The team also signed Canadian internationalDiana Matheson and Australian internationalLarissa Crummer, though they spent the majority of the season injured, as well as New Zealand international defenderRebekah Stott.[54] The Reign finished in fifth place for the second consecutive season narrowly missing a playoff spot after losing 1–0 to Kansas City.[55][56] Megan Rapinoe was the team's leading scorer (and league's third highest) with 12 goals.[57][56] Her season performance contributed to her nomination asFIFA World Player of the Year the following year.[58]
After two consecutive seasons of fifth-place finishes and thus outside of the playoffs, head coach and general managerLaura Harvey stepped down and was replaced by former rivalVlatko Andonovski as new head coach of the team.[59] The amicable transition nonetheless led to new vision for the team and new players, with Andonovski bringing in 11 new players on the season-opening roster. Notably, Andonovski traded for US internationalAllie Long and Australian internationalSteph Catley, while English internationalJodie Taylor and Danish internationalTheresa Nielsen joined on free transfers from abroad. The refreshed team performed well throughout the season and remained largely in second place behind a dominantNorth Carolina Courage team, until a loss to Cascadia rivalPortland Thorns FC at the end of the regular season dropped it to third place. This set up a semi-final rematch with the Thorns FC away from home, which the team lost 2–1. Despite the late slide, Andonovski led the team back to the playoffs for the first time since 2015 in his first season in charge.
On January 30, 2019, the team announced that it would relocate toCheney Stadium inTacoma for the2019 season and re-brand itself as Reign FC.[60] This relocation, as well as two new minority ownership groups (Mikal Thomsen, owner of theTacoma Rainiers andAdrian Hanauer, owner of theSeattle Sounders FC, as well as his mother, philanthropist Lenore Hanauer),[61] secured the team's long-term future by addressing long-standing stadium issues.[62] A new soccer-specific 5,000 capacity stadium that would host Reign andTacoma Defiance games was planned adjacent to Cheney Stadium.[63]
In their first season playing in Tacoma, the Reign finished 4th in the regular season, to qualify for theNWSL Playoffs but were knocked out by theNorth Carolina Courage in the semi-final.
Due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, the regular season was cancelled in 2020. Instead, the newly renamed OL Reign took part in the2020 NWSL Challenge Cup and theNWSL Fall Series.
Head coachFarid Benstiti resigned in July for undisclosed reasons; a joint investigation by the league and the players' association in December 2022 found that he abused players by "weight-shaming" them.[64] The Reign finished 2nd in the regular season, led first by interim coachSam Laity and then byLaura Harvey after her return. They fell once again in the semi-final, this time to the eventual championsWashington Spirit.
The club announced in December 2021 that it would be returning to Seattle withLumen Field as their new home stadium while continuing to train and operate out of Tacoma.[65] In theChallenge Cup, the Reign finished first in the West Division and earned the top seed overall but lost in the semifinal against theWashington Spirit in apenalty shoot-out. The team also won the mid-season invitationalWomen's Cup final againstLouisville. In their final regular-season match, the Reign won the 2022NWSL Shield, the team's third.[6]
The Reign moved their training facility toStarfire Sports.[66] The club will become Starfire's main soccer tenant and operate out of there in 2024, afterSeattle Sounders FC moves to their own facility.[67] The team finished the 2023 season as runners-up in theNWSL Championship, losing 2–1 toNJ/NY Gotham FC. At the end of this season, forwardMegan Rapinoe announced her retirement after eleven seasons with the club.[68]
On December 19, 2012, the team's name was unveiled asSeattle Reign FC. The team's colors were announced as white, platinum, royal blue and midnight black along with a neon green away colors[11] The name was selected in part as homage to the first professional women's sports team in Seattle, theSeattle Reign, a defunct professional basketball team in theAmerican Basketball League.[11] That team was in turn named after its location inKing County, and as a pun alluding to Seattle's rainy climate. In conjunction with the colors, the team also released its primary and alternate badges: the primary badge features a queen wearing a platinum crown (in a reference to the team name), while the alternate badge is monochrome and foregrounds the crown itself.[69]
Owner Bill Predmore stated, "Today's announcement is the result of a thoughtful process to identify the name that best represents the values of our club, articulates our long-term ambitions and celebrates the community within which our supporters live. Reign FC meets all of those objectives and at the same time honors the legacy of professional women's sports in Seattle. Like the Seattle Sounders, whose fans selected a name that honored those who pioneered the sport of soccer in Seattle in the early 1970s, Seattle Reign FC was, in part, selected to pay homage those visionaries – the leaders and players of the Seattle Reign women's basketball team – who pioneered professional women's sports in Seattle."[69]
On January 30, 2019, it was announced that the team would relocate toTacoma, Washington, and rename as simplyReign FC. As part of the rebrand, the team released a slightly modified visual identity and a new primary team badge that removed the word "Seattle" from the original badge.[70]
Following the acquisition of the team byOL Groupe in January 2020, the team announced another rebrand on March 6, 2020, asOL Reign, with new primary colors of blue, white, and gold to match those fromOlympique Lyonnais and a new team badge that includes the lion as a symbol forLyon.[5]
The team returned to its original name ofSeattle Reign FC on January 9, 2024, with a modified version of the original crest.[71] The crest remains primarily blue and black with gold used for the crown to symbolize the team's NWSL Shields.[72]
In April 2013,Moda Health was announced as the team's jersey sponsor.[73] The company remained the jersey sponsor for the 2014 and 2015 seasons. In 2016,Microsoft was named as the new jersey sponsor and "presenting partner".[74] The team also uses Microsoft technology on and off the pitch as part of the partnership.[74]
In January 2019, Seattle-based online retailerZulily was announced as the team's new presenting partner and third-ever jersey sponsor.[75] On the same day,Seattle Sounders FC also announced Zulily as its new jersey partner, making it the first time that both men's and women's professional soccer teams in Seattle share the same jersey sponsor and Seattle only the second-ever American city to hold this distinction.[76] Despite the new jersey sponsor, Microsoft remains the team's technology partner and will continue to provide sports analytics to the coaching staff.[77] During an unveiling event for the new secondary jersey in April 2019, aerospace corporationBoeing was announced as a kit sponsor for a slot on the back of both jerseys.[78] The jersey partnership with Zulily concluded after the 2020 season.[79]
Heading into the 2021 season, the Reign started featuring the Black Future Co-op Fund on the front of their jerseys as an in-kind donation to the Fund, until they could secure a new sponsorship.[80][81] While the search for a front-of-jersey sponsor continued, Tacoma-based healthcare groupMultiCare Health System was announced as a back-of-kit sponsor (alongside Boeing) at the start of the 2022 regular season.[82]
Before the 2025 season, the Reign announced that the Black Future Co-op Fund would no longer be featured as the club continued its search for a front-of-jersey sponsor.[83] In October 2025, after nearly five years, the Reign secured Seattle-based pet insurance providerTrupanion as the club's new front-of-jersey sponsor.[84][81]
| Seasons | Jersey manufacturer | Front-of-jersey sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| 2013–2015 | Nike | Moda Health |
| 2016–2018 | Microsoft | |
| 2019–2020 | Zulily | |
| 2021–2024 | Black Future Co-op Fund[a] | |
| Since 2025 | Trupanion |
During the inaugural season of theNWSL, Reign FC played atStarfire Stadium inTukwila, Washington.[85] The stadium is located approximately 12 miles from downtownSeattle and is the training facility forSeattle Sounders FC, as well as where the Sounders play theirU.S. Open Cup matches. With a seating capacity for 4,500 spectators, the stadium also features a press box with full scoreboard and sound system capabilities. Thepitch featuresFieldTurf.[86]
In February 2014, it was announced that the team would be moving toMemorial Stadium, located at theSeattle Center, for at least the 2014 and 2015 seasons;[87] the Reign chose to remain there beyond the originally intended two seasons. The stadium features an artificial turf pitch that was installed in 2013 and a seating capacity of 12,000 spectators, although seating capacity was set at 6,000 for the beginning of the2014 season.[88] The stadium was the previous home of theSeattle Sounders from 1974 to 1975 when the team played in theNorth American Soccer League (NASL) and from 1995 to 2002 whenthe new incarnation of the team played in theA-League.[88]
In late 2017, the team's future in Seattle beyond 2018 was seen as uncertain due to issues with Memorial Stadium. The facility does not meet league standards for playing surfaces set to be enforced in 2019. Additionally, the stadium is owned by theSeattle School District, which has announced plans to build a new high school in that area of the city, with the stadium being the most likely site. The Reign were seen by national soccer media as lacking viable options for a replacement—other possible venues in the region are problematic due to size, location, or ancillary facilities.[89] Reign FC owner Bill Predmore initially responded that, despite these challenges, the team would remain at Memorial Stadium for 2019.[90] However, newly enforced standards byU.S. Soccer and NWSL made this untenable, and the team relocated toTacoma, Washington, in January 2019.[77] The Reign planned to play temporarily atCheney Stadium while a soccer-specific stadium shared withTacoma Defiance was constructed. The new venue was originally set to open in 2021, but has since been delayed indefinitely due to feasibility issues caused by theCOVID-19 pandemic.[91] During their time in Tacoma, the team leased a practice field fromBellarmine Preparatory School and shared space withFoss High School.[92][93]
In December 2021, The Reign announced thatLumen Field will become its home stadium beginning in 2022.[65] Lumen Field has a capacity of 68,740; standard configuration for Reign games seats 10,000 but can expand based on demand for individual games.[2] With the move back toSeattle, the team also exited the planned soccer-specific stadium project inTacoma.[91] The team also moved their practice facilities to Starfire Sports prior to the 2023 season; the team were allocated a new field that would be used until they replaced the Sounders, who moved to their newLongacres facility in 2024.[93] After the Reign were acquired by the Sounders ownership group, plans to share the new Longacres facility were discussed by the two teams.[94]
As of 2020[update], NWSL matches are broadcast onCBS Sports Network andParamount+. International viewers can watch on nwslsoccer.com. In 2023, the league announced additional international streaming deals withDAZN andTigo.[95]
From 2013 to 2016, Seattle Reign games were streamed live by Bootstrapper Studios via YouTube. The broadcasts were called by KOMO News Radio Sports Director, Tom Glasgow, with color commentary provided byLesle Gallimore, head coach of theWashington Huskies.[96] During the 2013 season, a select number of league games were broadcast onFox Sports.[97] During the2014 season, several league games were broadcast byESPN.[98]
In March 2015, the team became one of the first sports teams to use the newly released appPeriscope to stream a preseason friendly against thePortland Pilots.[99] In 2015, six select regular season games and the playoff matches were broadcast byFox Soccer.[100] The playoff final featuring Reign FC and FC Kansas City set what was then a league record, averaging 167,000 viewers onFox Sports 1 – an increase of 7 percent compared to the 2014 final broadcast on ESPN2.[101] That record stood until the 2016 NWSL finals between Western New York and Washington, which averaged more than 180,000 viewers.[102]
In 2017, Reign games were streamed exclusively byGo90 for American audiences and via the NWSL website for international viewers.[103] As part of a three-year agreement withA&E Networks,Lifetime broadcasts oneNWSL Game of the Week on Saturday afternoons.[104][105] For the 2017 season, the Reign were featured in nationally televisedLifetimeNWSL Game of the Week broadcasts on May 27, July 8, August 26, and September 9, 2017.[106] During the 2018 season, Lifetime match broadcasts featuring Seattle include May 5, July 21, and August 11, 2018.[107]
In 2024, 11 Reign games were available onKONG-TV through a local broadcast partnership withKING 5 Media Group.[108]KCPQ took over as the Reign's local station for 2025.[109]
The first supporters group formed for the Reign is the Royal Guard. Founded by Matt Banks and Kiana Coleman in April 2013, the group became the first organized supporters group for a women's professional sports team in Washington state's history.[110][111][112] Other supporters groups for the team have included Fortune's Favourites and Queen Anne Collective.[113][114]
Like theSeattle Sounders FC rivalry with thePortland Timbers, the Reign has a long-standing regional rivalry[115] withPortland Thorns FC.[116] In May 2015, a match between the two teams in Portland set a new attendance record with 21,144 fans cheering in the stadium.[117] Their August 29, 2021, meeting was played atLumen Field in Seattle as part of a doubleheader with the Sounders and Timbers, drawing 27,248 spectators to break the league's attendance record.[118]
After losing twice toFC Kansas City during the NWSL championship final in 2014 and 2015 despite winning first place in the league, the Reign also considered FC Kansas City to be a rival.[119][120] However, Kansas City folded after the 2017 season, with their head coach Vlatko Andonovski joining the Reign.
An expansion team returned to the Kansas City area in 2021, and the rivalry was revived in 2022 when theKansas City Current won the playoff semifinal in front of a record-breaking crowd of 21,491 in Seattle.[121] A team from Kansas City has eliminated the Reign in the playoffs in all three of the club's Shield-winning seasons.[122]
Seattle Reign FC was wholly owned by Bill and Teresa Predmore from its establishment until January 2019.[60] Bill Predmore was a co-founder and the CEO of POP, a Seattle-based digital marketing agency.[123] Prior to the start of the first season, Predmore stated, "Ultimately, my goal is to build the best women's club in the world. That won't happen tomorrow or this year, but in 10 years or 20 years that's where we want to be."[124] Predmore's wife, Teresa, played college soccer atOregon State University and soccer is one of her lifelong passions.[124]
Leading up to the inaugural season of the NWSL, Amy Carnell was named general manager for the team. Within a week of regular season play, Carnell resigned from her position citing "personal reasons" and head coachLaura Harvey assumed the role – a setup similar to what she was used to as coach of theArsenal L.F.C. in England.[14][125][126]
Following the2017 season,Laura Harvey resigned as general manager and head coach of the team, andVlatko Andonovski was hired fromFC Kansas City as the new head coach.[59] Andonovski and Harvey had been the two most successful coaches inNWSL history, with three Coach of the Year awards and four trophies between them, and Andonovski was the only replacement Harvey endorsed.[127] Andonovski further complimented Harvey's positive impacts and committed to continue playing a "beautiful game" with the Reign.[128]
Before the2018 season, the team announced an agreement with Force 10 Sports Management, LLC, for it to manage ticket sales and services.[129] Force 10 Sports Management owns and operates theSeattle Storm, a standalone professional women's basketball team in theWNBA, much like the Reign.[130]
On January 30, 2019, the Reign announced that it would move toTacoma, Washington.[60] As part of the move, the team announced two new minority owners: the Baseball Club of Tacoma LLC (the owner and operator of theTacoma Rainiers, led by Mikal Thomsen), as well asSeattle Sounders FC majority ownerAdrian Hanauer and his mother Lenore Hanauer. Bill and Teresa Predmore remained the team's majority owners, and Bill the team president, after the additional investments. The relocation also brought previous management agreement with Force 10 Sports Management to an end, with the Tacoma Rainiers taking over similar responsibilities atCheney Stadium.[70]
After winning the2019 NWSL Coach of the Year award, head coachVlatko Andonovski resigned to manage theUnited States women's national soccer team on October 28, 2019.[131] As his departure had been anticipated, co-owner and president Bill Predmore had already begun the search for Andonovski's successor since early September.[132]
On November 25, 2019, majority owner Bill Predmore announced his entry into exclusive negotiations to sell the team toOL Groupe, theparent company of French clubsOlympique Lyonnais andOlympique Lyonnais Féminin.[133]Jean-Michel Aulas, president of OL Groupe, had been public about his desire to acquire an NWSL team as part of Lyon's international ambitions.[134] After the sale was completed, previous majority owners Bill and Teresa Predmore retained a minority stake in the team, while previous minority ownersAdrian Hanauer andTacoma Soccer Ventures no longer had ownership positions.[133] On December 19, 2019, the team announced that the parties entered into a definitive agreement for the sale to be completed in January 2020.[135] The team's total assets were valued at $3.51 million,[4] and OL Groupe would pay $3.145 million to acquire an 89.5 percent ownership stake in the team.[136] It was also announced on the same day that French basketball playerTony Parker, a business partner of OL Groupe, would also pay to acquire a 3% ownership stake, that Aulas would become chairman of the team's board of directors, and that a chief operating officer would be appointed to support the CEO Bill Predmore.[135] OL Groupe executive Vincent Berthillot was later appointed as the COO.[137]
On January 17, 2020, French coachFarid Benstiti was announced as the third head coach in team history.[138] This was followed by the announcement that the team would rebrand as "OL Reign" as part of the takeover.[5]Gérard Houllier was appointed the team's technical director in November 2020,[139] but he died a month later.[140] Benstiti resigned on July 2, 2021.[141] On July 15, 2021, the team announced thatLaura Harvey would return as head coach after theTokyo Olympics.[142]
On September 30, 2021, CEO Bill Predmore confirmed that he asked for former head coachFarid Benstiti's resignation after a player reported inappropriate comments made by Benstiti.[143] Despite a formal complaint being made to the NWSL, Predmore did not disclose details behind Benstiti's resignation at the time.[141] Benstiti was initially hired despite allegations of similar behavior in the past,[144] and Predmore's withholding of information continues a pattern of institutional failure in the NWSL where coaches and personnel under investigation for misconduct were allowed to leave quietly and take up other positions where they could still do harm.[143][145]
In February 2022, club founders Bill and Teresa Predmore announced that they would step down from their operational roles as club CEO and president of the club's youth academy, respectively, while remaining as the club's minority owners.[146] Former COO Vincent Berthillot succeeded Bill Predmore as the club's CEO, while a general manager dedicated to soccer operations would be appointed.[147] Later that month, the club announcedNick Perera, captain of theUnited States men's national beach soccer team, as the new general manager after serving as executive director of Washington Youth Soccer.[148] Perera departed the club in March 2023.[149]
In April 2023,Washington Spirit ownerMichele Kang announced plans to purchase a majority stake inOL Féminin. As both the Reign and OL Féminin were owned by OL Groupe, Kang's plans would create a conflict of interest between the Reign and the Spirit.[150] As a result, OL Groupe announced its intent to sell the Reign and hired the investment bank Raine Group to organize the sale process.[151] While the sale process is ongoing, the Reign announcedLesle Gallimore as the club's new general manager in May 2023.[152] In October 2023, OL Groupe also announced that it had bought out Bill and Teresa Predmore's 7.5% ownership stake for $2 million at some point after June 30, 2023.[153] Although OL Groupe still retained its ownership for another few months, the team's affiliation withOlympique Lyonnais and OL Féminin ended after December 31, 2023.[154] The team subsequently returned to its original name of Seattle Reign FC on January 9, 2024,[71] while the sale process continued as of February 8, 2024[update].[155]
On March 17, 2024,[156] it was announced that the private equity firmthe Carlyle Group, in collaboration with Seattle Sounders FC, had reached a deal to purchase OL Groupe's 97% stake in Seattle Reign for $58 million; the purchase is subject to approval from the NWSL and MLS.[157] The transaction was finalized on June 17, 2024,[3] withTony Parker's 3% stake included in the transaction as well.[158] While the Carlyle Group is the majority owner, the Sounders are the Reign's managing owner andAdrian Hanauer is representing the team on the league's board of governors.[159]
| Tenure | Owners | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| Founding – January 29, 2019 | Bill and Teresa Predmore | [60] |
| January 30, 2019 – January 2020 | Bill and Teresa Predmore (majority) | [60] |
| Adrian and Lenore Hanauer | ||
| The Baseball Club of Tacoma LLC/Tacoma Soccer Ventures | ||
| January 2020 – 2023[a] | OL Groupe (89.5%) | [135] |
| Bill and Teresa Predmore (7.5%) | ||
| Tony Parker (3%) | ||
| 2023[a] – June 16, 2024 | OL Groupe (97%) | [153] |
| Tony Parker (3%) | ||
| Since June 17, 2024 | The Carlyle Group (majority) | [3] |
| Seattle Sounders FC |
This table lists only the highest-level executive at the club at any given time during the club's history.
| Name | Tenure | Title | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amy Carnell | Founding – April 7, 2013 | General manager | [161] |
| Laura Harvey | April 8, 2013 – November 6, 2017 | General manager | [59] |
| Bill Predmore | November 7, 2017 – January 2020 | President | [59] |
| January 2020 – February 1, 2022 | Chief executive officer | [133][146] | |
| Vincent Berthillot | February 2, 2022 – June 16, 2024 | Chief executive officer | [146] |
| Maya Mendoza-Exstrom | Since June 17, 2024 | Chief business officer | [3] |
The team operates the Seattle Reign Academy, which is based at Starfire Sports in Tukwila, Washington. The academy has been affiliated with theU.S. Soccer Development Academy system since it was founded in 2017.[162][163] The Reign also operate an amateur team, Seattle Reign FC II, that joined theWomen's Premier Soccer League in 2024.[164]
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | DF |  USA | Julia Lester(atSporting JAX until December 31, 2025[167]) |
| 91 | MF |  KOR | Ji So-yun(atBirmingham City until December 31, 2025[168]) |
| Governance | |
|---|---|
| Governor | Adrian Hanauer |
| Alternate governor | Alex Popov |
| Executive | |
| Chief business officer | Maya Mendoza-Exstrom |
| General manager | Lesle Gallimore |
| Coaching | |
| Head coach |  Laura Harvey |
| Head assistant coach | Scott Parkinson |
| Assistant coach | Kate Norton |
| Assistant coach | Lee Nguyen |
| Assistant coach and head of goalkeeping | Lloyd Yaxley |
| Captain | Tenure | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| Keelin Winters | 2013–2016 | [169][170] |
 Jess Fishlock | 2017 | [170] |
| Megan Rapinoe | 2018–2022 | [171][172] |
| Lauren Barnes | 2017–2025 | [170][166][173] |
| Head coach | Nat. | Tenure | Matches[a] | Win | Draw | Loss | Pts/M | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laura Harvey | | December 21, 2012 – November 6, 2017 | 110 | 51 | 26 | 33 | 1.63 | [174] |
| Vlatko Andonovski |  | November 7, 2017 – October 28, 2019 | 48 | 21 | 16 | 11 | 1.65 | [131] |
| Farid Benstiti |  | January 17, 2020 – July 1, 2021 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1.00 | [138][141] |
| Sam Laity (interim) | | July 2 – August 8, 2021 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2.00 | [141][175] |
| Laura Harvey | | Since August 9, 2021 | 81 | 33 | 19 | 29 | 1.46 | [142][175] |
| Season | NWSL regular season | Playoffs | Top scorer[a] | Goals[a] | Attendance[b] | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | L | D | GF | GA | Pts. | Pos. | Avg. | High | Total | ||||
| 2013 | 22 | 5 | 14 | 3 | 22 | 36 | 18 | 7th | DNQ | Megan Rapinoe | 5 | 2,306 | 3,855 | 25,365 |
| 2014 | 24 | 16 | 2 | 6 | 50 | 20 | 54 | Shield | Runners-up |  Kim Little | 17♦ | 3,632 | 5,957 | 43,581 |
| 2015 | 20 | 13 | 3 | 4 | 41 | 21 | 43 | Shield | Runners-up | Kim LittleBev Yanez | 10 | 4,060 | 6,303 | 40,595 |
| 2016 | 20 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 29 | 21 | 30 | 5th | DNQ |  Manon Melis | 7 | 4,602 | 5,888 | 46,018 |
| 2017 | 24 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 43 | 37 | 34 | 5th | DNQ | Megan Rapinoe | 12 | 4,037 | 6,041 | 48,449 |
| 2018 | 24 | 11 | 5 | 8 | 27 | 19 | 41 | 3rd | Semifinal | Jodie Taylor | 9 | 3,824 | 5,251 | 45,885 |
| 2019 | 24 | 10 | 6 | 8 | 27 | 27 | 38 | 4th | Semifinal | Bethany Balcer | 6 | 5,213 | 7,479 | 62,551 |
| 2020 | Canceled due to theCOVID-19 pandemic | Quarterfinal[c] | 3 | Behind closed doors | ||||||||||
| 2021 | 24 | 13 | 8 | 3 | 37 | 24 | 42 | 2nd | Semifinal | 9 | 5,240 | 27,278 | 62,885 | |
| 2022 | 22 | 11 | 4 | 7 | 32 | 19 | 40 | Shield | Semifinal | 9 | 6,844 | 10,744 | 75,289 | |
| 2023 | 22 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 29 | 24 | 32 | 4th | Runners-up | Bethany Balcer Jordyn Huitema | 7 | 13,609 | 42,054 | 149,704 |
| 2024 | 26 | 6 | 15 | 5 | 27 | 44 | 23 | 13th | DNQ | Bethany Balcer | 5 | 8,503 | 16,598 | 110,536 |
| 2025 | 26 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 32 | 29 | 39 | 5th | Quarterfinal | Emeri AdamesJess Fishlock | 6 | |||
| ♦ | League most for season |
| bold | Club record |
| # | Player | Tenure | NWSL | Playoffs | Other cups | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lauren Barnes | 2013–2025 | 252 | 12 | 16 | 280 |
| 2 | Jess Fishlock | Since 2013 | 215 | 11 | 16 | 242 |
| 3 | Bethany Balcer | 2019–2024 | 103 | 6 | 26 | 135 |
| 4 | Megan Rapinoe | 2013–2023 | 115 | 11 | 6 | 132 |
| 5 | Bev Yanez | 2014–2019 | 123 | 6 | 0 | 129 |
| 6 | Sofia Huerta | Since 2020 | 91 | 6 | 24 | 121 |
| 7 | Kristen McNabb | 2017–2021 | 74 | 2 | 11 | 87 |
| Keelin Winters | 2013–2016 | 83 | 4 | 0 | ||
| 9 | Tziarra King | 2021–2024 | 67 | 1 | 17 | 85 |
| Quinn | 2019–2024 | 65 | 5 | 15 |
| # | Player | Tenure | NWSL | Playoffs | Other cups | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Megan Rapinoe | 2013–2023 | 52 | 3 | 0 | 55 |
| 2 | Jess Fishlock | Since 2013 | 48 | 0 | 1 | 49 |
| 3 | Bethany Balcer | 2019–2024 | 33 | 0 | 6 | 39 |
| 4 | Kim Little | 2014–2016, 2022 | 32 | 1 | 0 | 33 |
| 5 | Bev Yanez | 2014–2019 | 24 | 1 | 0 | 25 |
| 6 |  Nahomi Kawasumi | 2014, 2016–2018 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 18 |
| 7 | Jordyn Huitema | Since 2022 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 15 |
| 8 | Jodie Taylor | 2018–2020 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| 9 | Veronica Latsko | 2022–2025 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 11 |
| 10 | Sofia Huerta | Since 2020 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 10 |
La société a procédé à l'acquisition de 7,5 % des actions d'OL Reign auprès de Bill PREDMORE pour un montant de 2 M$, soit de 1,9 M€. Le pourcentage de détention d'OL Reign passe de 89,5 % à 97 %.
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