REIGN TOGETHER: Seattle is built shine in big moments
Over the course of the 2025 season, Seattle Reign FC has proven that the club is capable of showing up in big moments. Time and time again, the club has rallied to overcome obstacles and challenges, as they have since the very beginning.
On Sunday, the club was faced with a massive match against the Orlando Pride. A true Decision Day pairing, the match would determine the course of the Reign’s playoff run. There was no room for error.
A scoreless first half saw the Reign defend more than attack, but the team easily weathered the storm in front of Orlando's home crowd. The tides turned for a moment in the second half, as Orlando found the opening goal of the evening. It would have been easy for the Reign to accept defeat, and in turn, a lower seed in the playoff bracket, but they didn’t. Of course they didn’t.
Just minutes after the Pride scored, the Reign answered back. In a charge led by the young talent on the field, Madison Curry and Jordyn Bugg connected to find the all-important equalizer that put Reign FC back into the match, and ultimately secured a point on the road for the Reign.
“The big takeaway is we know we can stay in games. And even when you concede when we did, there was never a moment of not believing. Like we kept pushing and pushing and pushing, right? So yeah, I mean, it's interesting and it's unique, but that's what we've got to deal with,” said Seattle Reign FC Head Coach Laura Harvey.
With the draw, the Reign secured the fifth seed in the NWSL Playoff bracket and were able to stay in Orlando, avoiding the fatiguing travel that NWSL teams are commonly tasked with navigating.
"Our mentality and our grit and our determination to stay in games is there and continues to be there. This is a tough place to come for us with the travel and everything. We know that. So, you know, again, being able to stay here for a week now and prepare will be nice.”
The grit and tenacity shown by the whole squad on Sunday certainly isn’t a one-off scenario, though. Those traits are deeply engrained in the Reign’s identity and have been a special point of focus this year as the team has progressed through the most competitive NWSL season to date.
"Knowing that we got the tie there and we didn't play how we wanted to play just speaks to the fact that if we do play the way we want to play, I think that we can dominate this game next weekend,” asserted Harvey.
She continued, "I'm really proud of them. I think we've done a lot of work this year collectively on who we want to be on and off the field, how we want to treat each other, how we want to operate, how we want to develop as a collective and how we want to continue to develop the individual player.”
On the back of seven prior playoff runs, 12 postseason goals and a season of incredible work, the team is laser focused, eyes set on the ultimate prize – the NWSL Championship. It all starts now.
Tune in to Reign FC’s quarterfinal match against Orlando this Friday, November 7 at 5:00 p.m. PT on Prime Video. Fans are invited to attend the club’s Official Viewing Party taking place at Rough & Tumble. Programming for the event begins at 4:00 p.m. PT.