Lauren Barnes has officially announced the end of her 13-year career with Seattle as she plans to retire after the 2025 NWSL season.
Her final regular season home match is this Friday at Lumen Field against the Utah Royals as the Reign will look to clinch a playoff spot and make noise in the 2025 NWSL Playoffs.
Barnes has been a member of the club since its inaugural 2013 season, appearing in over 250 matches in that time.
So far this season, Barnes has appeared in 18 matches, playing over 1,000 minutes for the club.
“From day one, Seattle has been home,” said Barnes. “I’ve grown up here – as a player, a leader and a person. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built and the culture we’ve created. To have spent my entire professional career with this club, in this city, surrounded by the people I love, is something truly special. I’m so grateful to my teammates, coaches, staff and our fans who have supported me through every season. This chapter of my life has been a dream, and I’m excited to take it all in one last time with my Reign family.”
Barnes is the league’s all-time leader in games played (250), games started (238) and minutes (20,940). In 2024, Barnes became the first player in NWSL history to reach 100 regular-season wins. During her tenure, she has helped lead Seattle to three NWSL Shields (2014, 2015, 2022), earned 2016 NWSL Defender of the Year honors and was named to the NWSL Best XI First Team twice (2015, 2016) and Second Team twice (2014, 2019).
“Lu has been the heartbeat of this club since the very beginning,” said Seattle Reign FC Head Coach Laura Harvey. “She has been the glue that has held us together through the ups and the downs. Everything about who we are, whether it’s our standards, our values or our resilience, Lu has her fingerprints on it all. Throughout her legendary career, Lu has been authentic, selfless and a leader on and off the pitch. It’s been an honor to be a part of her journey, and her legacy will be felt here for generations.”
“What makes Lu so rare isn’t just her longevity or her records, it’s her humanity,” said Seattle Reign FC General Manager Lesle Gallimore. “She’s been a leader, a role model and a constant source of strength for this club and the community. You simply don’t see players spend their entire career in one city anymore, and that loyalty speaks volumes about who she is and what Seattle means to her.”
