Reign Down Bay FC in Third Straight Home Win, Revamp Team-Improvement Techniques

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Seattle Reign defender Sofia Huerta (11) celebrates her penalty-kick goal with her teammates during a game against Bay FC on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026 at Lumen Field in Seattle, Wash. (Jane Gershovich / Reign FC Communications) [/caption]

SEATTLE, Wash. — The Seattle Reign are taking ownership of everything they can right now.

After spiraling out of the playoff picture in the spring, the Reign (11-8-4) are firmly in control of the eighth and final postseason spot thanks to three straight close wins at home. The latest victory came on Saturday as Brittany Ratcliffe scored on a stoppage-time breakaway to secure a 2-0 win over ailing Bay FC.

The three-game stretch marked the first time since 2023 that the Reign managed three straight shutout wins, with Sofia Huerta scoring off a Nérilia "Coco" Mondésir-drawn penalty in the 51st. Reserve keeper Cassie Miller earned the clean sheet as usual starter Claudia Dickey recovers from getting stitches to her forehead after the last win over San Diego on Sept. 6.

Captain @schuerta from the spot for her 40th career NWSL goal! 🎯 pic.twitter.com/7DjaswrxUG— Seattle Reign FC (@reignfc) September 13, 2026

Miller had four saves on the night, as the 31-year-old coming off a torn hamstring is now 2-2-0 in four starts this season with 22 saves to show for her efforts.

But ownership for the Reign goes beyond just winning games.

The team had to evaluate its entire approach to how it talked about self-improvement — a key for a young squad in which GM Lesle Gallimore is hoping develops greatly in the next few seasons. After all, she kept the roster largely the same after last year’s fifth-place finish.

Head coach Laura Harvey said after Saturday's win, she and her staff made wholesale changes to how they handle team film meetings after the World Cup break, a period in which Seattle was out of the playoff picture and struggling to look dangerous.

"We're looking at ways in which we can be a bit more interactive… I just didn't feel like the way that we have operated and had our process previously was really, like, sinking in," Harvey said.

It showed as the Reign have had moments this season where the same script has played out. From not scoring for five straight games to struggling to capitalize on leads against Gotham, North Carolina and others, Seattle has taken a few weeks at a time to put negative trends in the rearview.

The team needed a way to reach its younger demographic.

"We tweaked the way that we sort of analyze games and made it more interactive with the group," Harvey said. "You sort of have to say your piece and be really interactive with your little group that you're in, instead of it being like 30 people in a room watching a screen and then analyzing. That's been a big shift."

After Seattle's last win over San Diego last Sunday, the team had what Harvey described as one of the best meetings she's been a part of in Seattle.

"There was just discussion happening between the group at a level that we wouldn't have been having six months ago, and it was driven by a lot of the younger players," Harvey said. "It was a collective discussion on how we solve who we want to be… I don't mind sharing this: (assistant coach) Scott (Parkinson) leaned into me and went, 'I'm getting emotional here.'

"I was like, 'Me too,' because that's growth."

Harvey mentioned how fans and media can only see growth in terms of results, and the trends are apparent when looking at how Seattle has won games this season.

Before the CBA break, Seattle had needed to score multiple goals to get all four of their wins. The Reign have won 1-0 in three of their last four victories, displaying the ability to take the ball to the corners and burn the clock to win ugly. Of course, Ratcliffe's decision to go for goal in stoppage time on Saturday instead of rounding out for the corner had the Reign coaching staff sweating a bit. But Ratcliffe, who's no stranger to big goals with a game-winner over Orlando to start the season, ended up having her coach's confidence.

"I was like, 'Go to the corner… oh, forget about it, go to goal!'" Harvey said, watching the veteran net her third goal of the campaign by putting it past a solid keeper in Jordan Silkowitz.

Brittany Ratcliffe putting the cherry on top of another three point performance at Lumen Field 🍒 pic.twitter.com/YP9Lq46NT5— Seattle Reign FC (@reignfc) September 13, 2026

From a veteran like Miller's perspective, it's been a pleasant change in seeing the younger players get a chance to be vocal instead of leaders like Huerta, center back Phoebe McClernon and club legend Jess Fishlock doing the bulk of the public speaking.

"I think just everyone buying in and everyone pushing each other in the locker room and on the field is the biggest thing," Miller said. "Things are clicking now… they're scoring a lot on us goalkeepers at practice."

Defensively, the Reign never appeared panicked as as they suppressed Bay FC, but they got through nevertheless.

Winger Racheal Kundananji gave Seattle fits with strong turns all night as Bay generated one expected goal on 11 shots. One of the most dangerous moments of the night came when USWNT regular Claire Hutton fired a laser at the right side of the net, leading Miller to go full extension to keep the shot out as it banged off the post instead.

"That game changes if that ball goes in the back of the goal," Huerta said of the moment. "I have full confidence in Cassie."

With that alternate reality of a Bay FC equalizer in mind, Seattle has the feeling of a team with another gear to hit.

Maddie Mercado, leading the team with eight goals this season in a breakout year, didn't have a goal contribution, but had multiple early chances to score off a header and a missed shot on service from Mondésir, who had a strong showing in her first major minutes in three weeks. And with midfielder Ainsley McCammon at U-20s and set to return in the next two weeks, the Reign are trending in the right direction after a gritty nine-point homestand.

Up Next

The Reign are back in action quickly, taking on an Angel City squad that trails them by just four points in the standings with seven games to play. Three days later, they'll be in Denver to take on a Summit team that trails them by just six points for the final playoff spot.

Needless to say, the next six days will go a long way toward either cementing Seattle's playoff hopes or drawing out this battle for a spot in the postseason.