Pride vs. Reign Preview: Win and In for Seattle in Jess Fishlock's Final Regular-Season Match

Seattle Reign FC has the simplest assignment on NWSL Decision Day and maybe the most emotional one. Beat the Orlando Pride at Lumen Field and the Reign are in the playoffs, no scoreboard-watching required. Do it in Jess Fishlock's final regular-season match, and the building might need a minute to compose itself.

Kickoff is 5 p.m. ET (2 p.m. local) on Sunday in Seattle. The Reign are 13-5-11 (wins-draws-losses) with 44 points, clinging to eighth place, the last playoff spot. Orlando is 11-3-15 with 36 points, 11th, and was eliminated in Week 25. North Carolina (42 points) and Denver (41) play each other in Cary at the same time, both hoping Orlando does them a favor.

Win and In, Plus Two Back Doors

The league's scenarios give Seattle three ways through. A win clinches. A draw clinches if North Carolina loses to Denver. And if North Carolina and Denver draw each other, Seattle is in no matter what happens at Lumen Field. The club adds that a win would guarantee the Reign's ninth postseason appearance, second only to Portland's 12 among NWSL clubs.

The catch is that Seattle has not exactly been sprinting to the line. Its last five read loss, win, loss, win, draw, including a 1-0 home loss to North Carolina on Oct. 2 that is a big reason this is still a conversation. Last week's 0-0 draw at Utah kept the Reign ahead of the pack without settling anything.

Home has been the comfort blanket, though. Seattle has won eight of its 14 home matches this season and allowed just 10 goals in them. That is the kind of stinginess that wins win-and-in games.

Then there is the Fishlock factor. Per the club, this is her final regular-season match before she retires at the end of Seattle's 2026 campaign, and she has two goals and an assist in her last four outings. She also opened the scoring the last time these teams met, a 2-1 Reign win in Orlando on March 15 that was the season opener for both clubs.

Where This One Gets Decided

The biggest storyline might be who is not playing. Barbra Banda, Orlando's leading scorer with 17 goals and four assists on 90 shots, is listed as out on the league's availability report. She scored Orlando's lone goal in the March meeting. Without her, the Pride's next-best scorer on ESPN's leaders list is Haley McCutcheon with six, which is a massive drop in firepower.

That puts the spotlight on Solai Washington. Per Seattle's preview, she has a goal or assist in four of her last five appearances and has scored in her last two matches, including Orlando's goal in last week's 2-1 loss to Gotham. Orlando has also been feisty on the road lately, taking 10 points from its last four away matches, per the Reign, including wins at Bay FC and Houston.

Seattle's attack runs through Maddie Mercado, who leads the team with 10 goals on 72 shots. Brittany Ratcliffe has four goals, Sofia Huerta has four assists, and Nérilia Mondésir, who set up both Seattle goals in March, scored at Chicago two weeks ago. Behind them, Claudia Dickey has 72 saves and Phoebe McClernon has completed 1,420 passes, the most on the team.

Orlando keeper Anna Moorhouse has 58 saves and Cosette Morche has 44. If Seattle's attack sputters the way it did in Utah, one of them could end up deciding the playoff race for three different fan bases.

Players to Watch

Jess Fishlock, Seattle. Two goals and an assist in her last four, and one last regular-season bow at Lumen Field. Sports movies have been built on less.

Maddie Mercado, Seattle. Ten goals, more than double anyone else on Seattle's leaders list. If the Reign need a goal, she is the most likely source.

Solai Washington, Orlando. Two goals and two assists in her last five appearances, per the Reign. With Banda out, she becomes Orlando's most dangerous attacker.

Haley McCutcheon, Orlando. Six goals, two assists and, per Seattle's preview, the team lead in tackles. She is the engine that keeps Orlando competitive without its star.

Team News

Orlando is without Banda, Sanne Lekven (ankle), Zoe Matthews (hip) and Nicole Payne (lower leg), per the league's availability report. Seattle lists Maddie Dahlien, who has four assists, out on the season-ending list with a knee injury, and Lynn Biyendolo is also listed as out. The league also noted this week that Orlando defender Rafaelle has announced she will retire at the end of the year. Nobody on either side is listed as questionable.

By the Numbers

• DraftKings lists Seattle at -130 on the moneyline, Orlando at +310 and the draw at +240, with a total of 2.5 goals, via ESPN, as of Saturday.
• In ESPN's last five meetings, Orlando has three wins, Seattle one and there was one draw; Seattle won the most recent, 2-1 in Orlando on March 15.
• Seattle has allowed 10 goals in 14 home matches.
• Orlando has 10 points from its last four road matches, per the Reign.
• The table entering Sunday: Seattle 44, North Carolina 42, Denver 41.

The Pick

Orlando has nothing to lose and a recent habit of winning on the road, so this is not a gimme. But the Pride are missing a 17-goal striker, Seattle has been stingy at home all season, and the Reign have every motivation imaginable, from a playoff spot to a send-off.

Our pick: Seattle 2-0. Mercado scores, Fishlock gets the standing ovation she deserves, and North Carolina and Denver find out the hard way that their game did not matter.

Odds from DraftKings via ESPN as of Oct. 31. Standings and stats from ESPN. Playoff scenarios and availability from NWSLsoccer.com. Additional notes from ReignFC.com.