Reign open the season with weather-delayed 2-1 road win over the Orlando Pride

Brittany Ratcliffe's late goal lifts Seattle to victory after lengthy delay

Mar. 16, 2026 at 2:18am

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The Seattle Reign opened the NWSL season with a 2-1 road victory over the Orlando Pride on Sunday. Jess Fishlock scored in the first half to give the Reign the lead, but the Pride equalized in the second half after a lengthy weather delay. Brittany Ratcliffe then scored the game-winning goal late to secure the win for Seattle.

Why it matters

The Reign’s win on the road against a tough Orlando Pride squad is an encouraging start to the season for the Seattle club. The weather delay added an extra challenge, but the Reign were able to persevere and earn a hard-fought victory.

The details

Jess Fishlock put the Reign ahead 1-0 in the 24th minute with a nice individual effort. Orlando thought they had equalized before halftime, but the goal was called back due to a foul. After a lengthy weather delay of over 3 hours, Haley McCutcheon set up Barbra Banda for the Pride’s equalizer in the 51st minute. But Brittany Ratcliffe came off the bench to score the winner in the 83rd minute, with Nérilia Mondésir providing her second assist of the game.

  • The Reign opened the scoring in the 24th minute.
  • In the 42nd minute, an Orlando goal was called back due to a foul.
  • After a 3-hour weather delay, the Pride equalized in the 51st minute.
  • Ratcliffe scored the game-winning goal for the Reign in the 83rd minute.

The players

Jess Fishlock

A midfielder for the Seattle Reign who scored the opening goal in the match.

Brittany Ratcliffe

A substitute player for the Seattle Reign who scored the game-winning goal late in the second half.

Barbra Banda

A forward for the Orlando Pride who scored the equalizing goal for her team.

Nérilia Mondésir

A midfielder for the Seattle Reign who provided two assists in the match.

Haley McCutcheon

A player for the Orlando Pride who set up the equalizing goal.

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What they’re saying

“We must have been patient after the long delay, but the team showed great resilience to come away with the three points.”

— Laura Harvey, Head Coach, Seattle Reign

What’s next

The Reign will look to build on this opening win when they host the Chicago Stars next weekend.

The takeaway

The Reign’s ability to grind out a tough road victory despite the weather delay demonstrates the team’s mental toughness and resilience as they aim to contend for an NWSL championship this season.