To the Reign Faithful,
In 2013, a girl from Wales got on a plane to Seattle to play in a brand-new league. I was one of the first internationals in the NWSL, and I'll be honest: I had no idea what I was walking into. Fourteen years later, I know exactly what I found. I found a second home.
It started in Portland, of all places. Second game of that first season, a stadium full of Thorns fans, and I scored my first NWSL goal. The first thing I did was grab this crest and point to it. I didn't plan it. It just felt right. It's the badge I've worn for my entire career, and I have never once stopped being proud of it.
We've moved around a lot since then. Starfire. Memorial Stadium under the Space Needle. Cheney in Tacoma. And now Lumen Field. Every move asked something of you: a longer drive, a new seat, a new routine. And you kept showing up anyway. To the loyal ones who have been with us from the start, you are the reason this club has always felt like home, no matter what building we were in.
Some of my favorite nights happened at Memorial. In 2015, in the pouring rain, we were a goal down to Sky Blue going into the 90th minute, with our home unbeaten run on the line. Kim put the ball in the box, I got my head on it, and the place erupted. That run stretched across two full seasons, and it was built as much in the stands as it was on the field.
And then there's Portland. This is one of the biggest rivalries in sport, and you are a huge part of why. Beating them 5-0 in front of you in 2014 is something I'll never forget. Neither is the 2021 doubleheader at Lumen Field, the first time we had ever played in a stadium that size. You showed up that day and told the whole country that Seattle is a soccer city. Of everything, those are the games I'll miss the most. Nothing else feels like it.
This league is the best in the world. Every single week, you're up against some of the best players on the planet, and if you don't show up as your best self, you get found out. Your passion pushed us to meet that standard. You made the big moments even bigger, and you made us want to be better than we were the week before. The three NWSL Shields, my 2021 MVP award, every honor I've been lucky enough to receive: none of it happens without you by our side.
You also helped me grow. I came here as a player with a lot of fire, and you watched me become a leader. Along the way, I learned what it really means to be part of a community, and it has been an honor to get to know this one. Seattle embraced me exactly as I am. It's also where I met my wife. This city gave me my career, and it gave me my family.
I’m often asked how I stayed at one club for over a decade. Honestly, it was a simple decision. I never had a reason to go anywhere else. This league has been through a lot. Clubs have come and gone, and there were some hard years. Through all of it, we stayed true to who we are. Gritty. Competitive. Always chasing trophies. Inclusive, proud, strong and resilient. A family. That identity genuinely came from you, and from everyone who has worn this crest and given everything for it.
I'm grateful for every memory, every match and every one of you. I'll cherish this career for the rest of my life.
Diolch o galon. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.
Forever your tiny dragon,
JF