USWNT midfielder Rose Lavelle returns to NWSL, joining OL Reign

TACOMA, Wash. – OL Reign today announced that U.S. Women’s National Team midfielder Rose Lavelle will immediately join OL Reign as a U.S. allocated player. Lavelle will train with OL Reign beginning May 26 and is expected to be available for selection in OL Reign’s match at Cheney Stadium against the Washington Spirit on May 30.

OL Reign acquired the NWSL rights to Lavelle in a trade with the Washington Spirit on August 16, 2020. In return, Washington received OL Reign’s natural first round draft pick in the 2022 NWSL College Draft and $200,000 in allocation money. $100,000 was paid at the time of the trade and the second payment of $100,000 is payable in conjunction with Lavelle’s return to the NWSL.

“We believe Rose has the ability to be the best player in the world. She is an extraordinary talent that is the perfect fit for our long-term vision for the team,” said OL Reign CEO Bill Predmore. “From the moment the trade became a possibility last year we have been focused on finding a way to bring her to the club. We are thrilled to add her to the squad and believe she can play a key role in our efforts to compete for a championship this season.”

Lavelle joins OL Reign from Manchester City in the Women’s Super League. Lavelle made the decision to move from the Washington Spirit to Manchester City in August of 2020, just prior to OL Reign acquiring her NWSL rights from Washington.

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Lavelle made 16 appearances and 3 starts for Man City for a total of 466 minutes played in their 2020/2021 WSL campaign. She scored one league goal after coming on as a substitute in Manchester City’s 4-0 win over West Ham United on January 31, 2021.

Lavelle also made four appearances for Manchester City in the Women’s FA Cup, scoring two goals, including one in her final match with Man City on Sunday. In addition, Lavelle appeared in four UEFA Women’s Champions League matches and two FA League Cup matches, where she scored two goals. With Manchester City, Lavelle won the Women’s FA Cup in the 2019-2020 season.

Prior to moving to Manchester City, the Cincinnati, Ohio native spent three seasons with the Washington Spirit after being picked first overall by the team in the 2018 NWSL Dispersal Draft. She made 21 appearances across all competitions for the Spirit. In her last match with Washington on July 18, 2020, Lavelle subbed in in the 62nd minute. The game was forced to go to penalty kicks to decide the winner. Lavelle stepped up first for the Washington Spirit and scored her pk, taking a left-footed shot to the bottom left corner of the goal. However, the Washington Spirit failed to convert their final penalty kick, ending their run in the 2020 Challenge Cup. Lavelle was named to the 2019 NWSL Best XI and the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup Best XI.

Lavelle had a short stint with the Boston Breakers in the NWSL prior to their exit after the 2017 season. The Breakers drafted her first overall in the 2017 NWSL College Draft. She made just 10 appearances for Boston in her rookie season due to a hamstring injury picked up on international duty. However, she managed to score two goals in her first eight games and was named NWSL Player of the Month in April of that season.

Lavelle played her college soccer at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. The midfielder scored 22 goals in 84 matches for the Badgers and was a four-time First Team All-Big Ten selection. She was also recognized as an NSCAA First Team All-American as a junior and a Second Team All-American as a sophomore and senior.

“We are incredibly excited for Rose to be joining our team,” said OL Reign head coach Farid Benstiti. “She is a special player that has the ability to change games. She is an ambitious player and very effective in the midfield. Her experiences in the NWSL and WSL, as well with the national team have made her a very aware and intelligent player. We are looking forward to adding her to our team.”

Internationally, Lavelle began representing the United States at the youth level, starting with the U-18 team in 2013. She won the Golden Ball at the 2014 CONCACAF Women’s U-20 Championship before leading the team to the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women’s World cup, where she scored one goal and notched two assists.

Lavelle was one of eight players called-up to join the team on their Victory Tour following the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup. She made her senior debut for the U.S. Women’s National Team in 2017, in the United States’ SheBelieves Cup match against England on March 4, 2017. Lavelle was named Player of the Match for her efforts in that 1-0 loss.

The midfielder is today a regular fixture on the U.S. Women’s National Team. She was a key part of the U.S. WNT’s 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup campaign, starting six matches and scoring three goals—including one in the final against the Netherlands—en route to winning the Bronze Ball. She has won the 2018 Tournament of Nations, 2018 CONCACAF Women’s Championship, the 2019 Women’s World Cup, the 2020 and 2021 SheBelieves Cups, and the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Qualifying Tournament. In total, Lavelle has made 53 appearances for the United States, scoring 14 goals and adding eight assists.

“I just wanted to say how excited I am for this next chapter of my career with this team,” said Lavelle. “I am really looking forward to getting to Tacoma and being a part of what they are building there. I think it is going to be such a fun and exciting season ahead. I can’t wait to be a part of it with OL Reign.”