Nerilia Mondesir continues to shine for club and country, adding a goal for Reign FC fresh off international duty
Nerilia Mondesir was built to challenge the status quo.
When she first signed with the Reign in the middle of the 2024 season, she became the first Haitian-born player to play in the NWSL, charting new territory for the league and for the entire women’s game. Slowly but surely, she acclimated to a new league in a new country and established herself as a crucial part of Reign FC’s squad.
Each and every day, the attacker spent time developing her game alongside her teammates and coaches, adjusting to the Reign’s distinct playing still and it paid off in dividends, as she added her name in the history books again when she recorded her first goal on October 18, 2024 against the Houston Dash to solidify a 2-1 win for the Reign.
“I think I have grown a lot since I first came to the team. I think the staff and the management are doing a good job and have helped me to get good at the language and they are really nice,” said Mondesir.
But even then, she was not satisfied and continued to improve her game, building a resume that now includes 56 appearances, 23 starts, three goals and two assists. She’s proven her versatility, impacting matches as a starter and as a sub and that widespread success has increased more than just the minutes she sees on the pitch. It’s leveled up her confidence, in turn compounding both her current success and potential to use it as a platform to keep improving.
“We are winning more games this year and it’s making me feel confident. I’ve enjoyed helping the team with scoring goals and getting some assists too, so I hope I can keep that going.”
And she did just that this weekend as Reign FC downed Chicago Stars FC 3-1 on the road to make their way back above the playoff line. Fresh off international duty with Haiti, she subbed onto the pitch in the 74th minute and scored a goal in the 80th, doubling the Reign’s lead over Chicago. She skill was on full display as she received a ball with her back to goal, but expertly managed to direct her shot on target and into the back of the net.
“She’s come from playing from Haiti in France and the stuff that she’s asked to do for Haiti – she's asked to do a lot for that team. She looked really sharp in training yesterday. Sometimes when she comes back from those big trips with the amount asked of her, she can be really fatigued, but she looked really, really sharp, so I think that showed in her goal,” said Reign FC Head Coach Laura Harvey.
“She turned quick and got a great finish on it, which is really hard to do in those moments. So yeah, really happy for her.”
The attacker is Haiti’s captain and as Harvey mentioned, the role requires a lot of her. Last week, Mondesir captained Les Grenadières in two friendly matches against Japan and Australia, which proved to be challenging albeit useful fixtures for Haiti as 2027 Women’s World Cup Qualifying draws nearer. Though it can be challenging for players like Mondesir to balance playing for club and country, it not only adds another dimension to her game, but Mondesir finds that people supporting her in Seattle make it much easier.
“The culture of the locker room is really good in Seattle. There are a lot of funny people and it makes things really easy for everyone. Everyone shows up for each other and is so nice. It’s really easy to like being there.”
Now, with just two matches left in the season, Mondesir and the Reign have turned their full focus to the first challenge at hand – qualifying for the NWSL playoffs. Tonight’s win provided a critical three points to the team, but on Friday, they face their next challenge in Utah Royals FC – and that’s just the start.
“My goal for this team is be champions. Never in my career have I been a champion. I’ve been playing soccer my whole life and really want to achieve that. I also want to score more goals for this team and I think I can do that,” said Mondesir.