Seattle, WA
Seattle Reign select two midfielders and a defender in the 2024 NWSL Draft
The first major event of the 2024 NWSL season – the NWSL Draft – concluded on Friday night, and Seattle Reign FC walked away with three players who have the potential to provide crucial depth for the club.
The Reign went into the evening with the 27th and 43rd overall picks in the draft. Seattle made a trade with Chicago in the second round, sending $125,000 in allocation money to the Red Stars in exchange for the 17th overall pick.
- With that newly-acquired pick, Seattle selected midfielder Sam Meza from the University of North Carolina.
- With the 27th pick, Seattle selected forward/midfielder Maddie Mercado from the University of Notre Dame.
- With the 43rd pick, Seattle selected forward/midfielder/defender Makena Carr from Saint Mary’s.
Speaking with reporters after the draft, head coach Laura Harvey and general manager Lesle Gallimore confirmed they got all three players they really wanted – and all three filled important depth needs for the squad.
Sam Meza, Midfielder, University of North Carolina
Harvey and Gallimore both talked about the impetus to make the trade with Chicago to move up to the 17th overall because of the fact that Meza was still available, as both said they had thought she would have been off the board.
Meza made 72 total appearances for UNC, with 71 of them being starts, and scored seven goals and claimed 10 assists. She was named a third-team All American in 2022 and made the second-team ACC in 2023. Playing a little deeper in the midfield, Meza is comfortable receiving passes with her back to opponents – and turning and creating for her teammates or dribbling out of pressure.
“Sam is the reason we all pay money to watch soccer. Her creativity and skill set separate herself from other elite players,” said University of North Carolina head coach Anson Dorrance.
As with any NWSL Draft tradition, here’s a mixtape of what Sam Meza does on the field.
While Meza has played for the United States U-17 and U-20 teams – getting coached by Harvey with the U-20s – in a Carolina People profile, she said she wants her platform as an athlete to inspire other Latinas, like soon-to-be teammate Sofia Huerta. “I hope I can inspire young Mexican girls to go for what they want, and it doesn’t have to be in sports. The biggest thing for me is being an advocate for little Mexican girls. I hope that they look at me and see themselves in me and see that they could strive for whatever they want to achieve,” said Meza.
And here’s a bonus video where you get to know a little bit about Sam Meza.
Maddie Mercado, Forward/Midfielder, University of Notre Dame
Mercado made 92 appearances with 62 starts for Notre Dame, scoring 26 goals and claiming 12 assists. Here are two of those goals, both from distance.
Here’s what Top Drawer Soccer had to say about Mercado: “With better finishing [by her teammates] on chances she created, Mercado would have had an even better statistical season than her nine goals and two assists. As a left-footed long-range shooting specialist with the stats to back it up, the San Diego Surf graduate has caught the eye of scouts over the last few seasons as someone who can create something from nothing.”
Makena Carr, Forward/Midfielder/Defender, Saint Mary’s
Carr played her 2023 season at Saint Mary’s, playing/starting in 15 matches as a left back after transferring from the University of Washington. At Washington, Carr played in more attacking roles in 39 matches, with 10 starts as various injuries limited her time on the field.
Hailing from Newcastle, Washington, Carr is set to be the latest member of Seattle’s gang of locals – joining Sam Hiatt, Nikki Stanton, and Olivia Van der Jagt. Carr will also reunite with now-general manager Gallimore, who coached her at the University of Washington.
“Makena is a handful to defend against, has a great soccer brain, and now that durability piece of competing day in and day out at this level is what needs [to] click in for Makena; it’s all a part of the soccer maturing process that players go through at this level,” said Gallimore in a 2018 profile on Carr.
Also in the post-draft conference call, Harvey and Gallimore mentioned that there were still other potential roster moves for the club to make without showing their cards. Gallimore did say, “Coming soon,” when asked by Seattle Times’ Jayda Evans about the status of midfielder Nikki Stanton and forward Tziarra King. Gallimore hinted at additional plays beyond re-signing their remaining free agents.
While Reign fans await the news of the sale and ownership change being finalized, and any other players coming to Seattle, we can at least welcome these three players to the club and to the city this preseason – and look forward to hopefully seeing all three of them put on the Seattle Reign jersey.
Welcome to Seattle, Sam, Maddie, and Makena!
Seattle, WA
Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks Prediction: Odds, Best Bets, Player News, Injuries, and Stats
Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks Preview
The Arizona Cardinals are 6-4, and Jonathan Gannon should be the favorite for coach of the year. After a tough start to the season, the Cardinals have ripped off five straight wins. Their win over the Chargers is the most impressive of them all.
The Cardinals have been a good mix of solid passing performances and a well-balanced rushing attack, led by quarterback Kyler Murray.
They head to Seattle this week to take on Geno Smith and the 5-5 Seahawks.
It’s been an up-and-down season for the Seahawks, and they are on a bit of a bad run, losing three of their last five games.
Luckily, with the return of DK Metcalf, they should be a bit stronger on the offensive side of the ball.
The Seahawks have missed Metcalf’s production and ability to stretch the field and take the top off the defense.
The Cardinals are the only team without a conference loss, so they should enter this game as betting favorites and with a great deal of confidence.
Listen to the Bet the Edge podcast as hosts Jay Croucher and Drew Dinsick provide listeners with sharp actionable insight, market analysis and statistical data to help bettors gain more information before placing their wagers. So, whether you’re targeting spreads and totals, looking for value in futures markets or circling player props, give their podcast a listen to give you that extra edge.
How to Watch Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks Live on Sunday:
- Date: Sunday, November 24, 2024
- Time: 4:25 PM ET
- Site: Lumen Field
- City: Seattle, WA
- TV/Streaming: FOX
Latest Game Odds for Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks – Week 12
The latest odds as of Friday morning, courtesy of DraftKings:
- Moneyline: Arizona Cardinals (-110), Seattle Seahawks (-110)
- Spread: Cardinals -1
- Total: 44.5
The Seahawks enter this game as a 1.5-point favorite. Given the success of the Cardinals, the line has since moved in favor of Arizona, making them a 1-point favorite.
NBC Sports Bet Best Bets
NBC Sports analyst Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas) is eyeing Seattle +1
Thomas: “This game is blah… If there were a skip button, it would be this one for me. Not that it won’t be a compelling game; I am just struggling to find a reason bet to take. Gun to my head, I would take Seahawks +1 at -105. With Metcalf returning, offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb has his full arsenal of talented weapons at his disposal.”
Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks Team Stats, Betting Trends
- The Cardinals are 4-1 ATS in their last five games as a road underdog
- The Seahawks have won five straight games against the Cardinals
- The Seahawks have won five straight games against the Cardinals
- The Cardinals are 2-0 against the NFC West this season
- The Cardinals have won 5 of their last 6 games
Quarterback Matchup for Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks
- Cardinals: Kyler Murray returned to action in Week 10, showing flashes of his dynamic playmaking ability that he had prior to his injury. Murray has thrown for 2,058 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions.
- Seahawks: Geno Smith has had a turnover problem. He’s thrown for 2,781 yards and 11 touchdowns, so some may say he’s been good. However, it’s hard to ignore the 11 interceptions he has thrown.
Player News & Injuries
- Cardinals:
- S Jalen Thompson (ankle) is OUT
- LB Xavier Thomas (back) is questionable
- DE Darius Robinson (calf) is questionable
- OT Jonah Williams (knee) is questionable
- K Matt Prater is on the IR
- Seahawks:
- TE Noah Fant (groin) is questionable
- TE Brady Russell (foot) is OUT
- WR Laviska Shenault Jr (back) is questionable
- OT George Fant (knee) is on the IR
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest and tools for the NFL, including game predictions, player props, futures, and trends!
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
Fairmont Olympic Hotel in Seattle
Hannah Corbin
Fairmont Olympic Hotel, one of Seattle’s most renowned luxury hotels, is full of festive spirit thanks to a partnership with the Seattle Festival of Trees Guild and Seattle’s Children Hospital.
Displaying over 20 uniquely decorated Christmas trees, each one tells the story of a patient from Seattle Children’s Hospital. Guests and visitors can marvel at the beautiful designs, which range from classic to whimsical, with the trees on display throughout the lobby and mezzanine levels of the hotel.
The trees are available for purchase, starting from $4,200, and vary in size and width—most trees are between 7-foot and 8-foot in height. On display now until Dec. 2, proceeds from every sale will benefit Seattle Children’s Hospital Uncompensated Care and Autism Center.
“We are deeply honored to have shared a cherished partnership with the Seattle Festival of Trees Guild and Seattle Children’s Hospital for decades. At the heart of Fairmont is our commitment to turning moments into special memories, and this beloved holiday tradition transforms our hotel into a festive haven,” said Sunny Joseph, General Manager of Fairmont Olympic Hotel. “It warmly welcomes longtime Fairmont guests, members of the local community, visitors from near and far, and our colleagues, who eagerly anticipate this event each year.”
Discovering Narnia tree.
Hannah Corbin
The Seattle Festival of Trees program has been a key part of Washington’s festive season for 47 years, working with around a dozen designers to create eye-catching themed Christmas trees to celebrate the magic of Christmas in style.
“Many of us have family members who’ve been treated or cared for at Seattle Children’s so this is definitely a labor of love,” explained Daphne Darst, Chair, Designer and Member of Seattle Festival of Trees Guild. “Hospital patients are paired with each tree and we designers are always interested in reading about the child’s health struggles and inspired to do whatever we can to impact and support the hospital’s work.”
To officially kick off the 2024 Seattle Festival of Trees season, the hotel is hosting a gala on Nov. 23, an evening that includes wine, passed hor d’ oeuvres, silent and live auctions, a raffle, gourmet dinner and more.
Trees are on display until Dec. 2.
Hannah Corbin
In addition to the Festival of Trees, the hotel hosts an annual Teddy Bear Suite starting Thanksgiving day. The suite, which has been a part of Fairmont Olympic tradition for almost 25 years, is free to enter and features 100 teddy bears and plenty of cozy features to enchant kids and adults alike.
MORE FROM FORBES
On Thursday night, it was announced that Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh had finished 12th in the American League MVP voting. This concluded an unbelievable award season for the M’s catcher. In addition to finishing 12th in the MVP voting, Raleigh was a finalist for the American League Silver Slugger. He also won both the Gold Glove at catcher and the Platinum Glove in the American League.
However, the MVP news wasn’t the biggest piece of Raleigh-related news on Thursday. According to Kiley McDaniel of ESPN, Raleigh dropped agent Scott Boras in favor Excel Sports Management.
Seattle Mariners Gold Glove catcher Cal Raleigh has switched his representation to Excel Sports Management, per sources.
— Kiley McDaniel (@kileymcd) November 21, 2024
Now, we don’t officially know the reason for the change, but some Mariners fans online took it to mean that the M’s have a greater chance of signing Raleigh to an extension now.
Take @MarinerMuse for example:
Fine, I’ll say it out loud:
This is the move you make if you want to sign an extension and you have the free agency manipulation agent.
Fine, I’ll say it out loud:
This is the move you make if you want to sign an extension and you have the free agency manipulation agent.
— Mariner Muse (@MarinerMuse) November 21, 2024
Raleigh is headed into arbitration this season and is under contract through the 2027 regardless. The M’s certainly would want to lock Raleigh up long-term as he’s one of the best catchers in all of baseball, but it only gets harder to do as he gets closer to free agency.
Furthermore, he’s 27 years old now, making an extension that takes him to 32-33 more desirable than giving him a long-term deal in the future. He’ll be 30 when his rookie deal ends and any extension would likely take him deep into his mid-30s.
Raleigh hit 34 homers this year to lead all catchers. He drove in 100 runs also, in addition to his defensive prowess.
Continue to follow our Inside the Mariners coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following Teren Kowatsch and Brady Farkas on “X” @Teren_Kowatsch and @wdevradiobrady. You can subscribe to the “Refuse to Lose” podcast by clicking HERE:
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