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Jeff Kassouf
Multiple Authors
During a match on Sunday, Seattle Reign FC midfielder Jess Fishlock was carried off the field in an air cast after sustaining an injury to her lower left leg during the team’s 3-0 defeat against the Utah Royals.
In the 64th minute, Fishlock fell to the ground after being struck by a shot from her teammate. She immediately signaled for medical assistance, showing clear signs of distress as she covered her face while the Reign’s trainers tended to her. A few minutes later, she was transported off the field on a stretcher.
“I don’t have an update at this time,” Reign head coach Laura Harvey stated after the game. “She has gone to get checked out, but I also think it didn’t look very promising.”
Fishlock announced last week that she plans to retire at the conclusion of the 2026 NWSL season.
Having played with Seattle since the NWSL’s inception in 2013, she is one of only three players remaining in the league who have been part of it since the beginning, and the only one to have spent her entire career with the same team.
“She is a crucial part of our team, not only for her skills and experience but also for her leadership within the group. It’s hard to gauge the team’s reaction right now due to so much uncertainty,” Harvey commented.
All three of Utah’s goals came in the first half of the match.
Fishlock expressed her eagerness earlier this month about finishing her career with Seattle and the NWSL, a league she considers her second home since moving from Wales.
“There have definitely been times when I’ve questioned whether I can continue,” Fishlock noted. “However, I genuinely love the NWSL. I believe it is the best league in the world, and it has pushed me to elevate my game.” She added, “I relish the challenge of facing strong opponents and striving to be at my best, as there’s a lot of talent in this league.”