After a disappointing first half of the season and the switch of possession lastly full, Seattle Reign administration has been vocal about actively working to higher its roster. Whereas some greater acquisitions could also be delayed till the offseason, the crew has begun with a number of strikes in the summertime switch window, and extra are anticipated.
One such transfer was buying and selling two-time finalist for NWSL Defender of the Yr, Alana Cook dinner, to the Kansas Metropolis Present. In trade, the Reign acquired $40,000 in allocation cash and $75,000 in intra-league switch funds, plus an extra $25,000 of the latter if sure performance-based measures are met. The 2-time NWSL Greatest XI First Workforce choice is about to be formally be accessible for choice on Aug. 1.
The Present suffered an enormous loss in protection when Gabrielle Robinson suffered a torn ACL on Could 25. Head Coach Vlatko Andonovski stated she had been one of many league’s finest defenders in 2024 earlier than the harm. Cook dinner fills a positional want with veteran information and expertise.
Although she is a veteran defender who went to the 2023 World Cup with the USWNT, Cook dinner has been seeing a dip in each type and taking part in time in 2024. Maybe transferring to play for the coach who introduced her to Australia and New Zealand or simply transferring to a brand new place, will see her return to her finest.
Cook dinner was additionally set to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, so it’s a stable financial return for a participant on an expiring contract. Nonetheless, this leaves the Reign with much less defensive depth than they’re used to.
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A torn ACL and meniscus sustained by Ryanne Brown within the first half of the crew’s first Summer season Cup match imply Seattle can be and not using a younger expertise who had simply begun beginning in common season video games. Brown made 10 appearances throughout all competitions in 2024 however her begins got here because the Reign had been exhibiting some life earlier than the Olympic break.
The protection stays anchored by exceptionally gifted veterans like Sofia Huerta and Lauren Barnes however the remainder is kind of younger. The remaining defenders — Lily Woodham, Julia Lester, Phoebe McClernon, and Shae Holmes — are all 26 or youthful. The group bought considerably youthful with the signing of nearly-18-year-old Jordyn Bugg to a contract via 2027.
Regardless of her youth, Bugg confirmed her talents within the Summer season Cup match in opposition to Tijuana. Taking part in as each outdoors and heart again all through the sport, Bugg was good on the ball, made high quality tackles, and confirmed spectacular maturity, with Harvey saying post-game, “I believed she was distinctive.”
Emeri Adames was the membership’s first-ever U-18 signing firstly of this 2024 season however with infrastructure, and possession, now in place, they wished to have a look at younger expertise. Midfielder Ainsley McCammon, a 12 months youthful than Bugg, is the opposite signing that resulted from this focus.
“We’ve by no means actually had the chance to do that earlier than, the place you possibly can actually put money into that younger expertise as a result of we weren’t resourced actually to do it,” Harvey stated after McCammon’s debut. “And now we’re, and I believe we’re gonna get resourced much more with the brand new possession group. To actually know that — is Ainsley going to be who we wish them to be in the present day or Jordyn? No. Or Emeri? No.
“However can we offer them with alternatives, improvement platforms — each with us and at youth nationwide crew stage — in order that they will someday grow to be the subsequent whoever in our crew.”
Making younger additions follows the present development within the NWSL and Harvey thinks it represents a higher shift.
“I believe the NWSL has all the time been a spot the place you must clear up issues and you must clear up it now. And I believe we’re turning that tide spherical to seeing long-term imaginative and prescient, long-term planning, and I’m all about that,” Harvey stated. “I most likely have a fame that I’m not and I really actually am, however I believe earlier than it was robust as a result of the league wasn’t arrange for that.”
Each Bugg and McCammon made their skilled debuts within the Summer season Cup whereas Adames used the chance to attain a banger. This summer time competitors is effective for these youngsters but additionally many extra.
For the gamers who not often, if ever, see the sector within the common season that is their probability to point out what they will contribute to a crew that should make trades, waive gamers, or mortgage gamers out with a purpose to make any extra roster additions.
“I believe what we now have to have a look at now with all the gamers that we now have who haven’t had tons of minutes is, when the summer time cup ends what does the subsequent six months appear to be for them,” Harvey stated. “And we’ve finished it earlier than the place we’ve loaned folks out they usually haven’t appeared again on the membership. And we’ve loaned folks out … who it was very clear that they had been going to return again.”
For others, it’s about exhibiting they deserve common season minutes now via the top of the season.
“I believe none of that’s determined but and I believe giving them the chance to point out what they will do in our crew proper now could be actually thrilling,” Harvey stated of all of the gamers vying for area time.
Whereas the Reign are considering long run they’re making some extra strikes proper now. Struggling to attain targets all through the season, the crew’s first large transfer of the summer time switch window was to signal Haitian ahead Nérilia Mondésir via the 2026 season, with mutual possibility for 2027, for an agreed-upon switch price.
The primary Haitian-born participant in league historical past brings thrilling potential and a wealth of worldwide expertise, together with captaining Haiti of their first-ever look at a FIFA Girls’s World Cup in 2023, at simply 25 years outdated. She additionally has scored 30 targets in simply 25 senior worldwide appearances.
“She is thought for her inventive means together with her pace of play and has skilled success for each her membership and nation,” Harvey stated in a press launch. “We sit up for using her skillset to raise our assault and assist the membership attain its targets this season and past.”
The attacker involves Seattle from France the place she made 123 appearances, 89 begins, for Montpellier HSC. Mondésir led the crew in scoring in 2022 with 9 targets however scored 20 whole in her profession whereas notching 16 assists.
Based on French ladies’s soccer journalist and commentator Daniel Marques, Mondésir’s power is her dribbling into assault however she has a poor conversion charge in entrance of objective. She can be terrific at successful possession everywhere in the area, however notably urgent within the last third, and has a robust defensive work-rate — a should when taking part in for Harvey. If Mondésir can enhance her ending she’s going to attain one other stage Marques feels she is able to.
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Don’t anticipate this to be the final we hear from the Reign this summer time. After signing Bugg, McCammon and Mondésir, the crew is simply roster compliant so long as Quinn and Jordyn Huitema are on the Olympics with Canada. The roster restrict is 26 so two gamers will have to be taken off the energetic roster for the return of the Canadians.
One transfer ought to contain the younger Brazilian midfielder Luany who’s signed via 2025 however has to this point spent her time on mortgage with Madrid CFF. Her mortgage led to June however there was no indication she’s going to return to Seattle this summer time so one other mortgage stint could possibly be upcoming, taking her off the energetic roster.
Whereas the Reign will unquestionably work to show their season round and nonetheless qualify for playoffs when the common season resumes, their imaginative and prescient goes far past simply this season and it has proven itself to this point on this summer time switch window.