Seattle Reign FC is not done yet.
The Reign defeated the Orlando Pride 1-0 in front of a boisterous home crowd of over 16,000 fans. The city showed up for the team when it mattered most. And the team showed up for themselves, securing their spot in the 2026 NWSL Playoffs with an eighth-place finish in the standings. Everything is left to play for.
This club has long been led by the players that joined the team ahead of the inaugural NWSL season in 2013 – Megan Rapinoe, Lu Barnes and Jess Fishlock. Rapinoe hung up her boots following the 2023 season and Barnes followed suit in 2025, leaving Fishlock as the solo club original for the 2026 season.
And now, she too has played her final regular season match – but her career isn’t over just yet. The Reign are set to travel to Sports Illustrated Stadium to take on NWSL Shield winners Gotham FC in a quarterfinal matchup that sees the winner take all and advance to the semifinals.
“They wanted to do it for themselves, but they wanted to do it for her. This group treats her with the utmost respect. They value her so much on and off the field,” said Reign FC Head Coach Laura Harvey.
Fishlock has posted an impressive season, despite missing a substantial period of time due to injury. She ends the regular season with four goals and an assist, but beyond the scoresheet, her impact has been most felt in the development of other players on the squad.
“The respect that is a mutual respect between her and that sort of group of players has been there since day one and grown... like really grown. I don't really like look at what the players put out publicly and stuff like that very often, but today I was just like really hit with how many of them came out publicly and so that they wanted to do today for her, and I think that just says everything about the relationship that they have and the respect that they have for what she's done,” shared Harvey.
Long regarded as a player that at time feels like a coach, Fishlock and her unshakeable legacy have fostered an environment in Seattle for young players to reach their potential. And it’s paid off in dividends the last couple of seasons, as players like 20-year-old Jordyn Bugg – who scored tonight’s game-winner – have slowly become the future of the squad.
“I've said it before and I'll say it again. This group...the only sad thing about my retirement is I don't get more time with them, because I would love to spend another couple of years just being a part of their growth and them reaching what they want to reach, because I love them. I do,” said Fishlock.
She continued, “I never thought when we started bringing all these kids that I would feel so much joy being a part of such a younger generation, but they give me so much life and they give me so much joy, and it's been such a pleasure to have my last season with this group.”
With eight postseason campaigns under her belt, Fishlock has one more in her as the Reign enter do or die territory in the playoffs, but she’ll be backed by the support of the young players that have been gaining experience of their own. This conglomeration of players has been noted as special since the beginning of the season, as many people close to the group have remarked that this is the team that Seattle has been waiting for to win it all and bring home the club’s first-ever NWSL Championship.
“I look at a Jordan Bugg and Ainsley, Emeri, all of them really took that risk in 2024 to commit their career here and there's no doubt that they can be the torchbearers of this club moving forward and maybe it's a really good omen that as someone like Jordyn Bugg is stepping up in these moments because I thought she was excellent,” said Harvey.
Just three matches stand between Reign FC and the club’s first NWSL Championship and there’s no doubt that Fishlock will be leading the charge, ready to pass the torch to the next generation of Reign players upon her retirement.
Regardless of what happens in Reign’s playoff run, one thing is for certain. The legacy of Jess Fishlock will live on at Reign FC long after her retires.
“What Jess and the OGs represent is what this club has been built on, which is legacy, and that's something that we really pride ourselves on, and that's a really tough thing to take on as young players.”