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Seattle, Washington: Reign Beat Orlando Pride 1-0 to Clinch Final NWSL Playoff Spot on Decision Day

Jordyn Bugg finished a corner kick in the 68th minute at Lumen Field and Seattle held on for the eighth and final NWSL playoff spot, extending captain Jess Fishlock's career by at least one more match.

By Orbit Post2 min read
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Seattle, Washington: Reign Beat Orlando Pride 1-0 to Clinch Final NWSL Playoff Spot on Decision Day

Key points

  • The Seattle Reign took the last open place in the NWSL playoffs on Sunday afternoon, beating the Orlando Pride 1-0 at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington, in the final match of the regular season.
  • Seattle finished the regular season with 47 points and a record of 14 wins, 11 losses and 5 draws, good for the eighth and final seed.
  • Both teams kept the other out of the attacking third for long stretches of the first half.

The Seattle Reign took the last open place in the NWSL playoffs on Sunday afternoon, beating the Orlando Pride 1-0 at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington, in the final match of the regular season. Jordyn Bugg scored the only goal in the 68th minute, and Seattle closed out the win it had to have on Decision Day.

Seattle finished the regular season with 47 points and a record of 14 wins, 11 losses and 5 draws, good for the eighth and final seed. Orlando ended its season with the loss and now heads into the offseason, with league play set to resume in February 2027, the Pride said.

A scoreless first half with two close calls

Both teams kept the other out of the attacking third for long stretches of the first half. Orlando defender Oihane made a goal line clearance on a header by Nerilia Mondesir in the 17th minute, according to the Pride match report. In the 43rd minute, Orlando goalkeeper Cosette Morche made a close range save on a shot by Jess Fishlock, and the match went to halftime at 0-0.

Bugg breaks through from a corner

The goal came in the 68th minute. Bugg finished a corner kick chance in front of goal, beating Morche for the winner, FOX 13 Seattle reported. The Pride report described the same play as Bugg reacting first to a loose ball in the box from the corner and slotting it home. Seattle protected the 1-0 lead through the closing minutes and four minutes of stoppage time to seal the playoff place.

North Carolina beat Denver 1-0 in the other match that mattered for the last seed, USA Today reported, but the Courage still finished two points behind Seattle, on 45 points, and missed the playoffs. Denver finished on 41 points.

One more match for Fishlock

The match was the final regular season appearance for Reign captain Jess Fishlock, who is retiring after this season. FOX 13 reported that Fishlock finishes the regular season as the club's all time leader in goals, with 52, and assists, with 31, while ranking second in appearances, with 232, and starts, with 212. The win extends her career by at least one playoff match.

Seattle now travels to face NY/NJ Gotham FC, the top seed and Shield winners, in the quarterfinals on Sunday, November 8 at 9:30 a.m. Pacific time at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey. The match airs on ABC and ESPN Deportes, FOX 13 reported.

Orlando interim head coach Yolanda Thomas praised her players after the loss. "What sticks with me is the resilience of the players to continue to show up every day," Thomas said in the Pride match report.

Timeline

  1. Nov 1, 2026Seattle and Orlando play a scoreless first half at Lumen Field. Oihane clears a Mondesir header off the line in the 17th minute and Morche saves a Fishlock shot in the 43rd.
  2. Nov 1, 2026Jordyn Bugg scores from a corner kick in the 68th minute to put Seattle ahead 1-0.
  3. Nov 1, 2026The final whistle confirms Seattle in eighth place on 47 points and into the playoffs, in Jess Fishlock's final regular season match.
  4. Nov 8, 2026Seattle visits Gotham FC in the NWSL quarterfinals at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey, at 9:30 a.m. Pacific time.

Sources