WATCH: Recapping an Up-and-Down Start for Reign in 2026

Emerald City Spectrum reporter Qasim Ali breaks down a rocky start to the Seattle Reign’s 2026 season. Seattle is 4-5-2 at the World Cup/CBA break with 19 games to play, leaving the Reign in 10th place in the NWSL and out of playoff positioning — down from a fifth-place finish in 2025. Seattle has managed a win in just one of its final seven games before the break.

Seattle’s offense is tied for the second-least productive group in the league, while the defense is tied for the fourth-fewest goals allowed as head coach Laura Harvey's young squad struggles to find consistency in the face of key injuries and growing pains. Still, with such a young squad, the Reign can’t be counted out yet.

Qasim Ali 3/25/26 Qasim Ali 3/25/26

Reign Bounce Back in Spokane, Revive Offense Against Current

The rearview mirror.

That's where the Seattle Reign put last Friday’s 2-0 loss to the nine-player their rival Portland Thorns with a 3-0 win over the defending NWSL Shield champion Kansas City Current on Wednesday night at ONE Spokane Stadium.

Angrahad James-Turner opened the scoring in the 18th minute with her first goal since 2024, while Brittany Ratcliffe found her second goal with the team, and Maddie Mercado netted her first goal of 2026. Sofia Huerta, the NWSL's all-time assist leader, had a hand in the last two goals to push her career assist tally to 33 as the Reign improved to 2-1-0.

Keeper Claudia Dickey also picked up the clean sheet, as her 14th career zero-spot moved her into first place in club history.

With Lumen Field nearing the end of its World Cup renovations, the team is spending its next two games east of the Cascades. It's safe to say this midweek shellacking of a rotating Current side (1-2-0) was a good way to get things rolling.

Qasim Ali 3/15/26 Qasim Ali 3/15/26

Reign Overcome Travel Mishap, Weather Delay in Opening Day Win

The Seattle Reign waited on the tarmac in SeaTac for a chance to fly to Orlando on Friday morning.

And they waited.

They waited for around six hours before taking off, as weather and other circumstances caused delays. The team, frustrated from a full day of travel, had to wait again in the recesses of Inter&Co Stadium at halftime of their Sunday season-opening game against the Pride as nearly three hours of lightning delays added a new fold to the cross-country trip.

After all that, the Reign played to a 2-1 win in their season-opener against a team they had played and lost to twice in a row to close last season.