Player Ratings: Seattle Reign FC Hold on For Massive Win Against Kansas City
On a beautiful spring night at Lumen Field, Seattle Reign FC would get arguably their signature win of the 2025 season so far with a 1-0 victory against a Kansas City side tied for the top of the table at 15 points.
The defense shined and Lynn Biyendolo opened her Seattle Reign scoring account with a poacher’s finish in the 37th minute, but here is how each player who played 30 minutes or more performed in the win:
Claudia Dickey - 8
She wasn’t asked to do a whole lot thanks to the solid back line in front of her, but when Dickey did need to make a save, most notably on a deflected Debinha strike in the first half, she stood tall and was able to get the shutout. Dickey is starting to string together quality performances and proving to be one of the better goalkeepers in NWSL so far in the early season.
Jordyn Bugg - 7
Bugg turned in another solid performance and was a big part of shutting down a very potent Kansas City attack. She made a key tackle on Debinha in the first half that otherwise would have sent the Brazilian 1v1 on goal with Claudia Dickey. She is settling in very nicely in the back three with McClernon and Barnes, each of the three playing a different role, but together, proving to be one of the better defenses in NWSL.
Phoebe McClernon - 8
She was one of Seattle’s best performers on the evening. Playing Centrally in a back 3 demands a lot of responsibility especially if the outside defenders get pulled wide to defend opposing wingers, but McClernons soccer IQ and pace to cover the ground necessary makes her a perfect fit to fill that role. Not to mention this is the second match in a row where she completed the most passes of any player in the match, so not only is she a defensive menace, but she is keeping possession and starting attacks from the back end as well.
Lauren Barnes - 8
Friday was another captains performance from Barnes. It’s often the small things that she excels at, whether it’s a smart clearance when the option to play out of the back isn’t there, or a quick mental check on one of the younger players after a misplay, or a perfectly timed overlapping run to provide width in the attack at the exact time Seattle needs a spark, she does it all.
Angharad James - 6
James did not have the opportunity to put her stamp on the game on Friday night like she has in recent weeks. Kansas City very often would attempt to skip the midfield and spring a counter attack straight to the front three, a smart game plan against one of the better midfields in the league in Seattle. All things considered, James still put in a good shift and controlled the midfield well with Ji and Meza.
Ana Maria Crnogorcevic - 6
The first start in four matches for the Swiss international, Crnogorcevic has struggled to make a big impact since arriving in Seattle last season. But on Friday, head coach Laura Harvey opted for experience against one of the best teams in the league and it paid off. The 34-year old slotted in well as a wing back and played the balance perfectly on when to go forward and be part of the attack, and when to add an extra player to the defense when defending the lead in the second half.
Maddie Dahlien - 7
Dahlien once again was a threat every time she got the ball at her feet. The ability to isolate and take on defenders 1-on-1 is a rare skill in this Seattle Reign squad so it really sticks out when Dahlien is on her game. She did it masterfully a couple weeks ago against Portland and she did it again on Friday night. If she continues to gain confidence and maybe a little more quality in front of goal, she will be a huge part of this team for years to come.
Samantha Meza - 8
Once again, Meza shined in Seattle’s midfield on both sides of the ball. Her ability to jump on a pass from the opponent and immediately start an attack for Seattle either on the dribble or playing one of her teammates in is truly elite. It’s almost like she is processing the game at twice the speed compared to everyone around her. There were a couple misplaced passes in the game against Kansas City which was slightly out of character but a few of those also can be accredited to seeing something even her teammates haven’t seen yet. She has been the best player of the past month for Seattle and has to be one of the first names on the team sheet for Harvey.
So-Yun Ji - 6
Ji played in a more advanced role on Friday than what she normally does and there were times she looked a little uncomfortable. Unfortunately for Ji, her skillset is very similar to that of Meza, but at this point in each of their careers, Meza is playing at a higher level. That doesn’t necessarily mean that they both can’t play a simliar position, but it can be prone to a situation where two players are filling the role that one would suffice. And on a team of 11 players, the idea is to get something a little bit different out of everyone and have a balanced side. So the move to get Ji further up in the attack and be more of a creator in and around the box seems logical moving forward, it will just take some adjustment for the Korean international.
Lynn Biyendolo - 9
Not just because of the goal, but for the entire performance throughout the match, Biyendolo was Seattle’s best player on the field. It seems like this has been in the works for awhile because her return from injury was a slow build up, but the last few weeks have been more of the player Seattle thought they were getting when acquiring her before the season. Now she has the goal to get her started and hopefully she will continue to build a solid striking partnership with Jordyn Huitema, which has made both players much more effective in recent matches.
GOOD PLAYERS DO INSTINCTS! 👏@lynnraenie scores her first goal for the club 💙
SEA 1 | KC 0 pic.twitter.com/lJhBtcD7On— Seattle Reign FC (@reignfc) May 3, 2025
Jordyn Huitema - 8
Jordyn Huitema looks like a completely different player than the one that was benched earlier this season. She is not a “goal or bust” player like she has been in the past, as she is affecting the game in more ways each time she steps on the pitch. Her assist to Biyendolo was actually a perfect use of her skillset: off a corner she used her height and aerial ability to win a header at the back post, but without an angle to put it on goal it was an extremely smart play to put it back into a dangerous area where Biyendolo did the rest. She is getting better and better with her hold up play, and she is starting to be a creator as well. She is well on her way to developing into a complete striker and if that continues, it would mean big things for Seattle’s offense moving forward in 2025.
