Shae Holmes signs two-year extension to remain with Seattle Reign FC through 2026 season
By Becca Weinberg, edited by Charles Hamaker
Seattle, WA - Our Seattle Reign FC announced Wednesday morning that the club has signed defender Shae Holmes to a two-year contract extension, locking in the University of Washington product through the 2026 season. Prior to the extension, Holmes was set to be a free agent following the 2024 season.
Holmes has the fifth-most minutes played on the team this season, and has started in 11 of her 17 matches played. She has recorded 14 tackles with a 50% tackle percentage, as well as 24 interceptions in 2024. Holmes has played in 23 total matches since being drafted in 2023 as the 19th overall pick by the Reign. Most notably, she started in all 7 NWSL Challenge Cup games during her rookie season, earning her a spot on the All-Tournament Team.
In her first two seasons with the Reign, Holmes immediately showcased her versatility in the backline through consistently winning tackles and 50/50 balls, and has proven to be a dependable player that records quality minutes and always puts the team first.
Seattle Reign FC defender and University of Washington alum Shae Holmes throughout her two seasons with the club. (Photos by Liz Wolter)
“Since we brought in Shae, she has exceeded our already high expectations in her professional development. Shae makes an impact all over the field and in our community. She is a very talented player and an even better human, and we’re excited to have her at the Reign for two more years.”
In addition to her dynamic contributions on the field, Holmes is the club’s nominee for the 2024 Lauren Holiday Impact Award, presented by Nationwide, for her work with MS, I’mpossible. She volunteers with the organization to raise money for young adults living with multiple sclerosis. Don’t forget to vote for Holmes through October 31 for her chance at winning the award and securing a charity donation to MS, I’mpossible by clicking here.
“I’m grateful to sign a contract extension and continue my soccer journey in Seattle for two more years. It’s a privilege to represent this city and play for our fans. I’m thankful for all of you, my family, friends and teammates for the endless support!”
Holmes has been a steady, dominant force in the Reign FC defense during her time on the team so far, and it will be exciting to see what she can contribute in the seasons to come. The news of this extension helps to give Seattle a bit more consistency and comfort in the strength of their defensive backline moving forward with free agency sure to change some of this rosters makeup this offseason in addition to the potential of trades and the expansion draft.
What’s next?
Following the news of this extension, our Seattle Reign FC have a match approaching this Friday, October 18th as they host the Houston Dash at Lumen Field. That match on Friday, with a kickoff time of 7PM PDT at Lumen Field, is the Reign’s “Fan Appreciation match” presented by BECU as it’s the final home contest of the 2024 season for Seattle. With the Reign and the Dash eliminated from playoff contention, it’ll be intriguing to see how both clubs approach their remaining matches on the year in terms of what sorts of lineups they’ll roll out. Head coach Laura Harvey has said that the club intends to remain competitive in their remaining two matches, following their last game which saw them defeated by the Utah Royals in a 3-0 result that officially ended their playoff hopes, but we won’t know for certain until the lineups are put out for each match. It’s certainly a good opportunity for different players who haven’t seen as many minutes previously to get some more looks in. You can purchase your tickets to that match to join us at Lumen Field by clicking here, or if you are a BECU member you can purchase tickets for 50% by clicking here.
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Check out our previous Seattle Reign FC articles here.
Check out our previous articles with writing by Becca Weinberg here, and her work with Lookout Landing here.
Cover photo by Liz Wolter. Check out our previous articles with photos by Liz Wolter here, and her portfolio here.
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