Seattle Reign FC head coach Laura Harvey continued her search for the perfect formula on Friday night, naming her ninth unique starting lineup of the 2026 season in a 2-0 defeat to Gotham FC at Lumen Field.
Harvey made three changes to the side that took the pitch last week, but the tactical shuffle was not enough to stop a clinical Gotham performance. Jaedyn Shaw opened the scoring for the visitors in the 23rd minute, before United States international Tierna Davidson doubled the advantage early in the second half to secure all three points for the New Jersey-based outfit.
Despite the result, Mia Fishel continued to stake her claim as a focal point for the Seattle attack. Making her third consecutive start—and her fourth of the season—the forward provided a physical presence up front as she continues to integrate following her high-profile move last July.
Since joining the Reign on July 10, 2025, Fishel has become a regular fixture in Harvey's plans, amassing 16 appearances and eight starts. While the Reign dominated large periods of possession in the final quarter, they were unable to provide the service required to get Fishel on the scoresheet before she was substituted late in the game.
In North Carolina, Bermudian international Leilanni Nesbeth and her Chicago Stars teammates endured a difficult evening at the First Horizon Stadium, falling to a heavy 4-0 defeat against a rampant North Carolina Courage.
Nesbeth, who has maintained an impressive 81% pass completion rate this season, was introduced as a second-half substitute in an attempt to provide stability to the Chicago midfield. However, the Courage’s high-pressing game proved too much for the visitors, who struggled to create meaningful openings throughout the 90 minutes.
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