Until the very last regular season game, Seattle Reign FC fought for their spot in the 2026 NWSL Playoffs – and qualification was no easy feat. There were up and downs throughout the campaign and every player on the roster contributed to the success of the team. Like in any year, there were pivotal moments that defined the journey and exemplified what Seattle Reign FC is all about.
Here are the top seven moments of the season:
March 15 | 2-1 win in Orlando
The Reign had a unique challenge as they opened the season against the Orlando Pride on the road, marking the third consecutive meeting between the two teams. They met in the final regular season match of 2025, which ended in a 1-1 draw, just to get paired in the NWSL quarterfinals five days later, where Orlando won 2-0, knocking the Reign out of the playoffs.
A mentally challenging match, the Reign proved that the 2026 squad was a force to be reckoned with as they went to Orlando’s stadium and took all three points.
It was also a sneak peek at the Reign’s roster depth and unique makeup. Fittingly, Reign OG Jess Fishlock scored the opening goal of the season to take the lead in Orlando, but the home side answered back just after halftime. However, newcomer Brittany Ratcliffe scored the game-winning goal after coming onto the field as substitute to claim victory for the Reign.
March 25 – April 4 | Unbeaten in Spokane
Seattle faced a truly unique circumstance as preparations for the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup saw the team play a three-game series across the state of Washington in Spokane. However, the team once again took the challenge head on, not wavering in the face of adversity. Not only did the soccer community on the east side of the state make Reign FC feel at home, but the team went unbeaten through all three matches, picking up seven of the nine points available.
During this residency at ONE Spokane Stadium, forward Maddie Mercado emerged as a player to watch this season, as she added a goal in each of Seattle’s wins over Denver and Louisville – her first two tallies of what would become a 10-goal regular season for the forward.
May 22 | 2-1 win in first-ever meeting with Boston Legacy FC
Following the Reign’s stellar showing in Spokane, the team went through a goal-scoring drought and went winless in four consecutive matches. Though it would have been easy for this difficult period to set the Reign back beyond return, the team broke the winless streak on the road against Boston.
They made history, playing in the first-ever professional women’s soccer match in Rhode Island and defeated Boston Legacy FC in the first meeting between the two clubs. Co-captain Sofia Huerta added the first goal of the match from the penalty spot and the Reign held that one-goal lead for 40 minutes before Maddie Dahlien added another goal for Seattle. Though Boston found the back of the net in the dying minutes of the match, the Reign did well to hang on to the lead and take all three points.
July 12 | 2-0 Rivalry Win against Portland Thorns FC
The summer break proved to be a turning point for Reign FC, as the team returned to play and corrected their course almost immediately. They hosted their biggest rivals, Portland Thorns FC, at Lumen Field in July after a meeting earlier in the season left a sour taste in their mouth. Seattle responded with a dominant 2-0 win.
This victory provided the Reign much to build off through the summer, kickstarting what would become a record-breaking stretch for the club. This was another match that emphasized the importance of having a full squad of players that are ready to make an impact at any given moment. Goalkeeper Cassie Miller stepped in for an injured Claudia Dickey and earned her first clean sheet for Reign FC, displaying her calm veteran presence. She made a total of nine saves in the match to keep the Thorns off the board.
Defender Ryanne Brown also showed out, as she scored her first regular season goal to give the Reign the lead over Portland just eight minutes into the match.
August 1 | 3-2 win at Bay FC
On the road in San Jose, the Reign fought for a 3-2 result, backed by goals from Mia Fishel, Maddie Dahlien and Jess Fishlock.
Fishel recorded her first run-of-play goal just five minutes into the match and five minutes after that, Dahlien doubled the lead. The deficit was halved just three minutes later by Bay FC, and it became clear that the Reign would need to dig into their reservoir of grit to earn a result at PayPal Park.
Bay leveled the score in the 75th minute, leaving everything to play for in final 15 minutes of the match. Two second-half subs made all the difference for the Reign, as Emeri Adames played a through ball to Jess Fishlock over the top and of course, the Welsh midfielder made no mistakes as she heroically found the back of the net to defeat Bay FC on their home field.
September 25 | Piling on the records with a 2-0 win at Lumen Field
The Reign earned a crucial three points against Boston Legacy once again, this time at Lumen Field. Two goals from Jess Fishlock proved to be enough not only to decisively win the match, but for her to overtake NWSL and U.S. Women’s National Team legend Megan Rapinoe as the club’s all-time leading scorer in the regular season.
The match had several other notable stats for the Reign: It marked the first time in NWSL history that a team won five consecutive regular season home games without conceding a goal, in addition to pushing the club to seven matches unbeaten at Lumen Field and elevating the club-record scoring streak to 17 consecutive matches.
November 1 | 1-0 win over Orlando to clinch a playoff berth
In the highest-stakes match of the regular season, the Reign finally clinched their spot in the 2026 NWSL Playoffs with a 1-0 win over the Orlando Pride in front of a crowd of 16,095 fans at Lumen Field.
Jess Fishlock, in her final regular season NWSL match, was at the center of the team’s success, giving the match her all in her 82-minute shift. The game-deciding goal began from a play in the 67th minute, as Fishlock nearly got on the end of a cross at the back post, but Orlando’s defense knocked the ball out of the play just in time, conceding a corner kick instead of the goal. The ensuing corner kick was served into the front post by Nerilia Mondesir and Fishlock back-heeled it to Mia Fishel. It went from Fishel to the feet of Jordyn Bugg, who calmly slotted it into the back of the net.
The victory propelled the Reign into the playoffs, marking the start of the club’s ninth playoff campaign. Their next challenge is on the horizon, as they travel to Harrison, New Jersey to take on Gotham FC in the quarterfinal round of the 2026 NWSL Playoffs.