Young Reign Roster 24 Players After Personnel Decision Announcement

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Seattle Reign midfielder Sally Menti (left) and forward Maddie Dahlien (right) celebrate during an NWSL match against the North Carolina Courage on Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025 at Lumen Field in Seattle, Wash. (Jane Gershovich / Reign FC Communications) [/caption]

The Seattle Reign announced a number of roster decisions on Tuesday morning in the wake of a fifth-seeded finish (10-9-7) and a first-round exit from the 2025 NWSL Playoffs.

Seattle signed one new player in 19-year-old midfielder Sofia Cedeno, who recently played with Halifax Tides FC and was a part of the U.S. U-20 call-ups in the last two months. Cedeno spent the 2025 preseason with the Reign, so there is some familiarity with the teenager as Seattle continues to stockpile young talent. Cedeno's new deal will expire in 2028, and she will take up an international roster spot.

The rest of the 23 remaining players rostered are all returners, as midfielder Jess Fishlock re-signed with the squad a few weeks ago for what could be her final season as a pro.

But despite the high retention rate, some Reign players found themselves heading out the door after the slew of decisions. Most prominent among them are 35-year-old midfielder Ana-Maria Crnogorčević, who spent much of the 2025 season injured, and 34-year-old midfielder Ji So-yun, whose contract will expire after her current loan with Birmingham City.

In addition to those departures, forward Lynn Biyendolo will miss the start of the 2026 campaign, set to begin on March 13, with maternity leave after announcing her pregnancy in late October.

Transaction Overview

Here's an overview of all the newest roster moves:

Signees

- Sofia Cedeno, midfielder

Re-Signees

- Neeku Purcell, goalkeeper

Departures

- Ana-Maria Crnogorčević, midfielder

- Ji So-yun, midfielder (on loan)

- Julia Lester, defender (on loan)

- Mikayla Cluff, midfielder

- Olivia Van der Jagt, midfielder

The loss of Crnogorčević is somewhat surprising while Van der Jagt was to be rostered through 2026 until she and the club "mutually agreed to terminate her contract," according to a team press release.

Van der Jagt played just three matches for Seattle in 2025 after spending four seasons with the Reign and playing 56 total matches (32 starts). Crnogorčević had just concluded her second season in Seattle and played 22 matches with 13 starts.

Purcell's re-signing for the '26 campaign is a heartwarming story, as the Reign Academy product was a replacement player in 2025 and will now be backing up a keeper of the year finalist in Claudia Dickey.

Roster Overview

Here's how the roster is looking by each position group:

Goalkeepers

- Claudia Dickey

- Cassie Miller

- Maddie Prohaska

- Neeku Purcell

There’s plenty of depth at the keeper spot heading into 2026, with Cassie Miller carrying a season-ending injury (SEI) designation. Dickey, who has been getting consistent starts for the USWNT in its recent exhibitions, didn't miss a start in 2025.

Outside Backs

- Madison Curry

- Sofia Huerta

- Emily Mason

- Shae Holmes

- Ryanne Brown

Curry and Huerta have been mainstays in this team's effort ability to not only win plenty of 1-on-1 situations on defense, but also enjoy healthy offensive production from its backline. Huerta is the NWSL's all-time assists leader and should continue to mentor this young backline.

Center Backs

- Jordyn Bugg

- Phoebe McClernon

Bugg and McClernon are Seattle's two true center backs, but the backline is flexible, and Curry or Holmes could slot in if needed.

That said, Bugg has emerged as one of the best defenders in the NWSL, as the 19-year-old was a finalist for Defender of the Year. She also showed flashes of offensive potential when needed, as her spectacular goal against North Carolina early in the season was nominated for FIFA's Marta Award, given to the world’s best-looking goal of the year. As such, Bugg has been notching starts with the senior USWNT alongside Dickey as she continues to impress the world of women's soccer.

McClernon had an on-and-off campaign, but the 27-year-old is set to take on a bigger share of the leadership role with club legend Lauren Barnes retired. She's fit for the role, McClernon is one of the more vocal and personable players in Seattle's locker room. Her work rate is infectious, a solid trait for a team full of young talent.

Seattle's defense will go as far as these two take them, and their partnership in the backline will be as important as any storyline on this team in 2026.

Midfielders

- Jess Fishlock

- Sam Meza

- Sally Menti

- Maddie Mercado

- Ainsley McCammon

- Angharad James-Turner

- Sofia Cedeno

Jess Fishlock's time on the pitch dwindled in 2025, down from nearly 1,400 minutes in 2024 to 804 in 2025. Still, the 38-year-old Welsh legend put up a career-high 0.67 goals per 90 minutes and tied a team-high six goals by the end of the season. Her specialty will lie in finding timely clutch goals for a Seattle side that constantly found itself in close games in 2025.

24-year-old Sam Meza, another USWNT talent, has been the most consistent defending force for Seattle and alongside 23-year-old Sally Menti, Seattle's defending midfield is in good hands. Maddie Mercado came back from loan late in Seattle's campaign and proved how much the team missed her on the offensive end. Her work rate and touch near the goal was solid and should only get better in 2026 with more reps as she closed 2025 with a productive performance against Orlando.

The same goes for 18-year-old Ainsley McCammon, whose raw dribbling ability will be another developmental storyline to watch in 2026.

Long story short, there's plenty of room for growth in this midfield and it will be overseen by a club legend in Fishlock.

Forwards

- Emeri Adames

- Maddie Dahlien

- Mia Fishel

- Jordyn Huitema

- Nerilia Mondesir

- Lynn Biyendolo

Seattle was dead-last in expected goals generated in 2025, and this group will need to spearhead the effort to flip that figure on its head in 2026. Maddie Dahlien, a Rookie-of-the-Year finalist, proved to be one of the most dynamic young players in the NWSL with four goals in her rookie campaign while 19-year-old Emeri Adames tied Fishlock for the team-high in goals.

Dahlien's partnership with Fishlock was the most dynamic aspect of this offense, and it should be an emphasis to get the pair on the pitch together whenever possible. While Jordyn Huitema manned the striker spot in 18 starts, the 5-foot-11 forward wasn't able to leverage her frame quite enough to have a productive season. She finished the season with three goals and just 3.6 xG, as the Canadian national will be looking to bounce back in 2026.

She'll be in competition at striker with 24-year-old Chelsea transfer Mia Fishel, who only got to see field in small spurts as she joined the team midway through the campaign. Fishel's dribbling ability could add a new layer of creation to the Reign in 2026, as Harvey made it a point to not burden Fishel with too many minutes in 2025. As the training wheels come off, Fishel will be the player to watch in terms of how this offense changes in 2026.

Takeaways: Trust the Process

Seattle finished 13th in the NWSL in 2024 and fifth in 2025 off the strength of young talent like Adames, Dahlien, and Bugg to go with great contributions from vets like Fishlock. GM Lesle Gallimore is confident that trajectory will continue going forward.

"This season showed how impactful it can be when youthful talent and experienced veterans come together with purpose," Gallimore said in a team press release on Tuesday. "We're grateful for what we built together this year and energized by what this group can accomplish next."

It's hard to see an issue with the strategy given the uptick in winning in 2025 and the youth that is yet to be fully molded.

The only feasible issue with a team that was among the best in holding its opponents under its xG mark was Seattle's chance creation. Dahlien and Adames were spectacular in bursts, but didn't string together games where they were constantly pressuring the goal for 90 minutes.

Gallimore and skipper Laura Harvey are clearly banking on those young players getting it right, but they also cleared themselves of fans itching for something new by bringing Fishel in. Harvey was insistent on bringing Fishel along slowly as a project, and 2026 would be as good a time as any to let the star prospect show the city what she can do for this offense.

On the defensive side, the USWNT trio of Dickey, Bugg and Meza will be circled in red by opposing sides. The development of Menti and consistency of McClernon will be the difference between this team having a solid defense, as it did in '25, and a feared defense like they could have with this roster in '26.

All in all, Seattle has the pieces it needs, and it showed that confidence by essentially running it back with most of its roster. While there's plenty of time for new signings and rumors alike, the real test for the Reign will be training camp as this squad attempts to maximize its young potential.