Raenie Day Fund: Lynn Williams headlines Reign roster moves
Reign trade Howell, international roster spot, and $70k for Williams, Cassie Miller
The Seattle Reign made a big splash on December 20, 2024, trading for Gotham FC winger Lynn Williams. Seattle is looking to bring in attacking firepower for 2025 – and the all-time NWSL leader in goals couldn’t hurt. The Reign, who struggled in 2024 with attacking quality, stand to benefit from Williams’ strong finishing ability.
Though she had something of a down year in 2024 – with four goals and two assists in the regular season – Williams was a key player in Gotham’s 2023 Championship-winning squad, with a team-leading seven goals as well as two assists during the regular season. In the NWSL Championship Game that year, Williams scored the first goal of the match on the way to a 2-1 win over the Reign.
After knocking out the Reign in 2023, Seattle hopes that Williams will bring championship glory here in 2025 – and Lynn Raenie Williams is no stranger to accolades. In addition to bringing Gotham FC a trophy in 2023, she won a championship with the Western New York Flash in 2016 and two with North Carolina Courage in 2018 and 2019. She was on three straight NWSL Shield-winning Courage teams in 2017, 2018, and 2019. She won NWSL Most Valuable Player in 2016.
In addition, Williams played 178 minutes in the 2024 Summer Olympics for the gold-winning USWNT, scoring a goal in the National Team’s 4-1 group stage win over Germany.
The 31-year-old Williams – a Californian who played for Pepperdine University in Malibu, CA, before being drafted by the Western New York Flash in 2015 – is reportedly looking to finish her career on the West Coast, according to Jenna Tonelli. Williams’ contract is set to expire at the end of the 2025 season.
Seattle also acquired goaltender Cassie Miller, who played four games for Gotham in 2024. In return, Gotham received defensive midfielder Jaelin Howell, who notched 477 minutes with the Reign after coming from Louisville in the Bethany Balcer trade, as well $70,000 in allocation money and an international roster spot.
Curry added to back line menu
The Lynn Williams trade is not the only addition Seattle has made this offseason. On December 4, the team signed a three-year contract with Madison Curry, who played 1,595 as a back in her rookie 2024 season with Angel City FC. In addition to notching a goal and an assist, she racked up 74 tackles (3rd in NWSL), 43 tackles won (10th in NWSL), and 44 interceptions (4th in NWSL), and 89 clearances (13th in NWSL). Not only does she promise to bolster the back line, but she is also a versatile player who can make attacking runs.
Reign part ways with Zee, Ivory, Weinert
Seattle is also saying goodbye to a few players this year: winger Tziarra King – after four seasons, 85 games, 3,155 minutes, five goals, and three assists with the Reign – will not be returning in 2025, though it is unclear where she will end up. Also leaving is keeper Laurel Ivory, who made nine appearances and clocked 751 minutes with 29 saves and 20 goals conceded for Seattle in 2024: she signed a one-year contract with the Kansas City Current on December 19. The team has also decided to waive forward McKenzie Weinert, who played 28 minutes across four games and is currently on loan to USL Super League’s Spokane Zephyr.
Six more players remain out of contract
In addition to King – who is currently unsigned but will not be returning to Seattle in 2025 – there are six additional members of the ’24 roster who are currently free agents:
- Olivia Athens (midfielder)
- Lauren Barnes (defender)
- Maddie Mercado (midfielder
- Maia Perez (keeper)
- Quinn (midfielder)
- Nikki Stanton (midfielder)
