Cassie Miller Shines, Reign Top Thorns 2-0 to Split Cascadia Series

The Seattle Reign came into Sunday's rematch with their vaunted rival Portland Thorns at 4-6-2 and losers of four of their last five games.

But records never matter in the biggest grudge match in the NWSL, and Seattle proved it by delivering the Thorns their only shutout loss of the season to place Portland at 8-4-3 in a 2-0 win. Seattle moved up to 10th place with the win, still three points out of a top-eight playoff spot with a game in hand over the Orlando Pride.

Reserve keeper Cassie Miller, in for the second straight week for injured star Claudia Dickey (ankle), had the game of her life to earn the clean sheet. Miller tabbed nine saves in front of nearly 15,000 fans - Seattle's fourth-highest attendance figure in any match. It marked the full circle of a story for the 31-year-old that featured a leg injury which forced her to miss most of the 2025 season.

Also rounding out a comeback story was right back Ryanne Brown. Brown tore her ACL during the 2024 season, prompting her to miss all of 2025 and play just 22 minutes total in 2026 in the lead-up to Sunday.

She earned her first start with typical starter Madison Curry (ankle) out with an injury, and scored an incredible long distance goal to open the scoring. Maddie Mercado doubled the advantage later in the first half while Miller endured 10 shots on frame to seal a 2-0 win.

Head coach Laura Harvey, who hasn't had much to smile about on the field lately, put this game up there with any of Seattle's performances in 2026.

"It was probably the closest to the best 90-minute performance that I can probably remember since (the 2-1 win) over Orlando (in March)," Harvey said. "Really proud of the group."

Chants of "Build a bonfire, build a bonfire, put the Thorns on the top!" rang out as time wound down on a picture perfect day - one that could turn Seattle's season around.