Lauren Barnes Reflects on Her Five Favorite Matches with the Reign

For 13 seasons, Seattle Reign FC has been led by defender Lauren Barnes. Not only has Barnes been a stalwart in the Reign’s backline, but she has provided a crucial sense of leadership and fostered an unmatchable culture at the club. Often regarded as the “glue” of the team, her career has been nothing short of illustrious.

After announcing that the 2025 season would be her last, Barnes has just the playoffs ahead, as she closed out her NWSL regular-season career on Sunday evening with 252 appearances – the most of any NWSL player in history.

To celebrate her outstanding career, we asked Barnes to pick her five favorite matches from her time with the Reign.

“I actually sent a message to Laura and Jess to talk about it, too. We've been through pretty much all of them together, which is pretty incredible,” said Barnes.

“It's hard to pick just five. We've had so many incredible games over the last 13 years, but these are the ones that stood out to me.”

NOTE: The matches are listed in chronological order:

April 30, 2014 at Sky Blue FC | Gritty Win on the Road

The Reign’s first road trip of the 2014 season was full of character as they travelled to Rutgers University to take on Sky Blue FC. It was a cold and stormy night, setting the scene for what would be a bizarre match, full of moments Barnes will not forget.

“We had some like crazy games early on and this one in particular was at Sky Blue. It was a stormy, stormy game and the field was terrible. Everything was so crazy. There’s a goal, there’s a PK save, it’s just one of those games that will always stick in your head.”

“Pretty early on, Naho had this crazy goal and then in that same game, Hope had a PK save – she took it off the chest. It was just the most absurd game and at halftime, Jess and I always talk about this. We’ll never forget Naho coming in and redoing her makeup. It was the kind of game that showed the personality of our team, which I love because this team over the years, we’ve expressed ourselves with soccer on the field and have had the best team and best personality.”

July 27, 2014 vs. Portland Thorns FC | Biggest Win Over Portland

The 2014 is renowned as the one of the greatest in Reign history, and for good reason. Seattle set a league record unbeaten streak of 16 games, and the biggest win of the entire season came against the club’s most bitter rival – Portland Thorns FC. The 5-0 win remains the largest margin of victory in the rivalry to date.

“Pretty much any Portland game that we played in the last 13 years, has always been so much fun, but there was one in 2014 that we beat them 5-0. I think just because we've been so competitive with Portland and these rivalries, having a game at 5-0 is just a statement,” said Barnes.

“It's one that I'll always remember because we've always been head-to-head. They've always been such a big club to compete against, and we've always been a good club to compete against as well, but we beat them at home and it was awesome.”

August 29, 2021 vs. Portland Thorns FC | First Match at Lumen Field

In 2021, the Reign and Seattle Sounders FC came together to host a Doubleheader match at Lumen Field. This unique event marked the Reign’s first time playing at Lumen Field, their now home. It was nearly a decade in the making, as the Reign played at Starfire Stadium, Memorial Stadium and Cheney Field before making the move to Lumen in 2022. To make the occasion even sweeter, the Reign defeated the Thorns 2-1 in front of over 27,000 home fans.

“That's the first time we got to play in a stadium that we've deserved to play in for so long. We played Portland and we beat them. So, it being Portland, it being in front of the greater-Seattle area in Lumen kind of felt like a milestone, for women’s sports in general, but definitely for us in Seattle and for the ones that have been here so long and been in so many venues.”

“It was really cool to be a part of making that history for the Reign. I guess it kind of just showed that we deserved to be there. It was a huge crowd and obviously winning against Portland is a cherry on top.”

October 1, 2022 vs. Orlando Pride | Clinching the NWSL Shield

Against all odds, the Reign clinched the 2022 NWSL Shield in front of a home crowd at Lumen Field. The memorable season marked the club’s first year calling Lumen Field home and a record-breaking crowd was there to witness the Reign earn their third NWSL Shield and first since 2015. Heading into the match, it seemed as though Seattle’s biggest rival may take the Shield, but aided by Gotham FC, the Reign swooped in to claim victory.

“The odds weren't really in our favor. I remember we were driving from Tacoma up to Lumen to play Orlando. At the same time, Gotham were playing. The team they were playing against, Portland, were supposed to be winning the shield. Gotham didn’t have the best year, but they were up. So we were all driving to the game, all talking in the groupchat. By time we were ready to go at Lumen, if we won that game, we would win the Shield that day. That game was pretty exciting and winning the Shield last minute was kind of unreal.”

October 17, 2025 vs. Utah Royals FC | Final Regular Season Home Match

The Reign’s final home match of the 2025 regular season is one that Barnes and Reign fans everywhere will not soon forget. The match against Utah proved to be high-stakes on the field and the team was up to the challenge, winning 2-1 to clinch their place in the 2025 NWSL playoffs. Off the field, the club celebrated the one-of-a-kind career of Barnes. A club original, team captain and the glue of the team, it was an unforgettable occasion for everyone in attendance.

“It was an important game for us with playoffs on the line, but it was also a special one for me because I had my whole family there. It was an incredible game, incredible performance from the team, but just to see everything kind of come full circle for me and how much I appreciate this club and I love this club and I got to hear all that.”

“I'm the type that walked away and didn't want to be in the spotlight, but after it happened, I just felt so much fulfillment and joy and yeah, so much love. That game will always hold a special place in my heart.”

Though her regular-season career has come to an end, Barnes and Reign FC still have everything to play for as they prepare for a quarterfinal match against the Orlando Pride this Friday, November 7 at 5:00 p.m. PT. The match at Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando will be available to watch on Prime Video.