Seattle, WA

Seattle Reign select two midfielders and a defender in the 2024 NWSL Draft

Published

2 years ago

January 13, 2024

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!

Source link

Seattle, WA

Seattle Kraken fall to Mammoth 5-3 for 7th loss in 8 games

Published

4 hours ago

December 13, 2025

Press Room

Seattle Kraken fall to Mammoth 5-3 for 7th loss in 8 games

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Dylan Guenther scored a go-ahead power-play goal in the third period and the Utah Mammoth beat the Seattle Kraken 5-3 on Friday night to snap a three-game losing streak.

Utah Mammoth 5, Seattle Kraken 3: Box score

Nick Schmaltz had a goal and two assists, and Kailer Yamamoto, JJ Peterka, and Lawson Crouse also scored for the Mammoth. Kevin Stenlund had three assists and Karel Vejmelka stopped 32 shots.

Mason Marchment had two goals and Ben Meyers also scored for the Kraken in their seventh loss in eight games. Phillipp Grubauer had 26 saves.

After a scoreless first period, Marchment put Seattle on the board with a backhand shot at 3:35 of the second.

Schmaltz tied it at 8:09 with an unassisted goal. He attacked off a breakaway and chipped the puck over Grubauer’s shoulder from close range.

Yamamoto then gave Utah its first lead with 6:36 left in the middle period.

Seattle had several shots at an equalizer during a two-man advantage lasting nearly two minutes, but the Kraken came up empty.

Marchment then got his second goal of the night and fourth of the season at 7:50 of the third, slapping the puck home from long distance to tie it.

Guenther gave Utah a 3-2 lead with 7:05 remaining, successfully converting a power play.

Peterka and Crouse added empty netters over the final three minutes, and Meyers scored for Seattle with 43 seconds to go for the final margin.

Up next

Kraken: Host Buffalo on Sunday.

Mammoth: At Pittsburgh on Sunday.

Seattle Kraken dealt another tough blow on the injury front

Source link

Seattle, WA

Brock: How rookie DL can fit in Seattle Seahawks’ defense

Published

16 hours ago

December 12, 2025

Press Room

Brock: How rookie DL can fit in Seattle Seahawks’ defense

The Seattle Seahawks focused heavily on their offense during the draft this past spring, using nine of their 11 selections to pick players on that side of the ball.

Just two of their picks were defenders: safety Nick Emmanwori and defensive lineman Rylie Mills.

Seattle Seahawks waive 2 players, have options to fill their roster spots

After returning from an injury suffered in the season opener that forced him to miss three games (and essentially four since he played on four snaps in Week 1), Emmanwori is making his case to be in consideration for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Mills, on the other hand, has yet to play a snap while recovering from an ACL tear suffered last December during his final season at Notre Dame. But the fifth-round pick appears to be nearing his NFL debut. Mills, who was designated to return to practice from injured reserve Nov. 26, was a full participant in practice for the first time last Friday. He was ruled out of Sunday’s game against Atlanta, but practiced in full on Wednesday and Thursday as Seattle prepares for a matchup with Indianapolis this Sunday.

The Seahawks have until next Wednesday to decide if they will activate Mills to the 53-man roster or place him on IR for the rest of the season. So it may be another week until he makes his debut, and it’s no guarantee that he will play this season. If he is activated to the 53-man roster, how will he fit the Seahawks’ standout defense? Former NFL quarterback Brock Huard shared his insight about the role the Notre Dame product could play during his Blue 88 segment on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk on Thursday.

“I do remember watching him a number of times and just, gosh, he was a good college football player,” Huard said. “He’s big now. He’s 6-5, 290 (pounds), and to be honest with you, you know where he fits a little bit more? He would fit a little bit more in a traditional, kind of old school Pittsburgh Steelers 3-4 defense. He would be that five-technique defensive end that could play that spot and be very stout.”

Mills is similar in size to star Seahawks defensive lineman Leonard Williams, who measures in at 6-5 and 310 pounds. But one key difference is Williams has more length, which is a concern Huard has about Mills.

“The challenge and what I’m anxious to kind of see in how they utilize him eventually is he’s not real long (Mills had 32 5/8 inch arms at the draft combine)” Huard said. “He’s not like Leonard Williams with that length. He’s not necessarily like a (Quinton) Bohanna and a (Brandon) Pili at 330-plus pounds either. (He’s) 6-5, 290, fairly athletic, super smart, super savvy, but he’s a little different than all the rest of these D-linemen.

“He’s certainly not an edge player and he doesn’t have some of the size or the length of some of the interior (linemen).”

Every Rylie Mills sack (17.0) 👀💪
The best of @ryliemills99 ➡️ https://t.co/tBCRILE4Eh#GoIrish☘️ pic.twitter.com/kdxRT6F6c5
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) March 21, 2025

However, Huard is confident the Seahawks can figure out the best way to utilize Mills’ skills just like they have with another player on their defensive line who lacks some of the ideal measurables: 2024 first-round pick Byron Murphy II.

“Like they’ve done with Murphy, who also is not prototypical in some of the size, they will play to his skill set,” Huard said. “(Mills’) greatest skill set, frankly, might just be his brain.”

Hear the full conversation at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Listen to Brock and Salk weekdays from 6-10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.

Seattle Seahawks coverage

• What to expect if Colts start Philip Rivers at QB vs. Seattle Seahawks
• Seattle Seahawks Injury Report: OL starter may be nearing return
• Daniel Jeremiah: Seahawks rookie Grey Zabel ‘an elite guard now’
• Date and time for Seattle Seahawks’ Week 17 game at Carolina announced
• Seahawks Notebook: Coach leaves team; two players designated to return

Follow @ZacHereth

Source link

Seattle, WA

Seattle weather: Drier skies Friday, some rivers remain above flood stage

Published

1 day ago

December 12, 2025

Press Room

Seattle weather: Drier skies Friday, some rivers remain above flood stage

SEATTLE – High river levels continue this evening after the heaviest showers came to an end Thursday with only a few lingering showers. A Flash Flood Watch remains in effect for the Mount Vernon area due to flood risks if local levees fail, which remains possible through Friday afternoon.

Our FOX 13 Weather Team is closely watching for potential flash flooding concerns over the Skagit River.

A Flash Flood Watch is posted until late Friday: there is a possibility of dike/levee failure. (FOX 13 Seattle)

Landslide and localized flooding will still remain an issue into the end of the week.

High river levels continue this evening after the heaviest showers come to an end Thursday.

We have seen three rivers in Western Washington reach record level heights, making this a historic flooding event for the state. We still have the likelihood of seeing record heights for the Skagit River at Mount Vernon this evening into early Friday morning as it crests. Most of our area rivers will continue to decrease overnight and throughout Friday.

We have seen three rivers in Western Washington reach record level heights, making this a historic flooding event for Western Washington.

Rainfall totals Thursday were significantly lower compared to Wednesday, which will help to lower river levels over the next few days.

Rainfall totals Thursday were significantly lower compared to Wednesday, which will help to lower river levels over the next few days.

Temperatures this afternoon were also significantly warmer compared to average, with highs in the mid to upper 50s.

Temperatures this afternoon were also significantly warmer compared to average, with highs in the mid to upper 50s.

What’s next:

Skies will be much drier Friday as we see the atmospheric river move out of Western Washington. High pressure will slowly build back in for Friday and Saturday, aiding in the rivers receding and for the soil to dry out.

Skies will be much drier Friday as we see the atmospheric river move out of Western Washington.

Highs will remain very mild through the weekend, reaching the mid 50s. We will see dry skies and even some sunbreaks for Saturday. Our next round of showers return Sunday with scattered rain, then heavier showers and lowering snowlevels by the middle of next week.

Highs will remain very mild through the weekend, reaching the mid 50s.

MORE NEWS FROM FOX 13 SEATTLE

New WA laws in 2026 include higher wages, luxury car tax, plastic bag fee hike

Wild Waves Theme Park to shut down in 2026

Charter bus breaks down in Leavenworth, leaving dozens stranded

75-year-old woman attacked in Downtown Seattle, suspect arrested

Washington State Ferries seeks new owners for aging fleet castoffs

To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter.

Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.

The Source: Information in this story came from FOX 13 Seattle Meteorologist Claire Anderson and the National Weather Service.

WeatherWeather ForecastFlooding

Source link