Reign FC Continues to Build Confidence and Momentum
Seattle Reign FC earned a huge win against the Kansas City Current at Lumen Field on Friday night, defeating the first-place team in an intense back-and-forth match. Forward Lynn Biyendolo scored her first goal in a Reign kit to seal the deal for Seattle, but the victory was truly a team effort.
It’s no secret that the 2024 season was less than ideal for the Reign, a club that is accustomed to fighting for its spot in the NWSL playoffs. The 2025 season has shown fans a different version of the Reign, as this new-look roster has embraced the gritty identity that has defined the club for over a decade.
“I think that you have to remember that it’s a very new group of players and so I think you’re seeing players week in and week out training together, figuring out what everybody likes, figuring out what everybody’s tendencies are. Week 1 and Week 2 and I guess against Orlando as well, we’re trying to gel,” said Biyendolo, a newcomer to the Reign who has stepped into a natural leadership role on the team.
She continued, “We can’t tell the future, but the hope would be we are continuing to gel and we’re going to get there and we’re going to peak at the right moment.”
Just seven games into the season, now 3-2-2, the team has made massive strides, building chemistry on the field with each passing match, in a conglomeration of newcomers and veterans. All over the pitch, there are standout partnerships beginning to blossom.
The team was forced to defend for the majority of the second half this match, but every player on the field was up to the challenge. The notable duo of Angharad James-Turner and Sam Meza in the midfield covered an extensive amount of ground, aided by attackers like Biyendolo and Jordyn Huitema, who fought to get on the end of every second ball.
Goalkeeper Claudia Dickey posted three saves to preserve the clean sheet, partnered with a solid back three of Lauren Barnes, Jordyn Bugg and Phoebe McClernon holding down the defense as a unit while the team shifted to play with more offensive wingbacks in the match.
“I think we've done a good job this year of really focusing in on what each unit needs to do, what they're doing well, what they need to get better at; We know that we're on a journey,” said Reign FC Head Coach Laura Harvey.
“I think the most exciting part about the whole team and especially the backline, and include Claudia in that, is we're nowhere near our ceiling – like nowhere. We've got the tallest ceilings in the world in this team, which I just am so excited about.”