Seattle Reign FC Post-Draft Availability
Seattle Reign FC Post-Draft Availability • Friday, January 12, 2024
Head Coach Laura Harvey
On what the players can bring:
“Yeah, I think (forward) Maddie’s (Mercado) proven that she can play within a team where she can be part of a team or she can really lead a team. I think she did a really good job of that over this past season. I think for (defender) Makena (Carr), obviously got to see her at (University of Washington) UW higher up the field and then with Saint Mary’s she got moved back into a fullback position, so I think that versatility for someone – being a local kid as well – I think will be really beautiful for us.”
On Makena’s versatility and the position she has in mind for her:
” I think we have an idea that we’d like to see her in a certain position, but I think knowing that she has the flexibility to play multiple positions is a really big asset for someone coming in from the forefront.”
On midfielder Rose Lavelle and defender Emily Sonnett not returning as free agents and how that impacted the club’s approach in the NWSL Draft:
“Obviously, we knew that we have positional needs. I think one way that we can fill those spots is through the draft. To think that some of the young players can come in and take on the roles that those two we need to fill is asking a lot, but I think we have a lot of other things going on outside of the draft where we’re hoping to try and help solidify that. Obviously, we were disappointed to lose (former Reign FC midfielder) Rose (Lavelle) and (former Reign FC defender) Emily (Sonnett), but now we have to obviously think about the future and move through that.”
On if it was a surprise that the club wasn’t able to re-sign Lavelle and Sonnett:
“I’m not going to say surprised – I just think, obviously, disappointing, for sure, but that’s football. I think free agency gives the players the opportunity to look at their whole life – not just about where they play on the field and obviously for both Emily and Rose, they thought that going to the east coast was a better fit for them right now.”
On if she expects any additional roster moves to come soon:
“No, we’re not finished trying to make moves. I think that we want to try and bring some talent in. I think we have spots to be able to do that and I think we’re being very purposeful in how we’re approaching that, both for what is our immediate need and obviously our future needs. We always want to compete. I think this league is set up that way, where there’s no doubt that you can go in and compete at any day, any time. We’ve always believed we have a deep roster, I think we showed that last year and now it’s time for people within this team to really step up and show what they’re about and I think that’s the really exciting part is, we spoke about depth a lot and we want to continue to build that throughout the offseason and moving into 2024 and I’m excited to see what this group can do and excited to see what other bricks we can add to our building blocks that we’re trying to move forward with.”
On working alongside General Manager Lesle Gallimore this year:
“I think the part with the draft that’s crazy until you live it and I’m sure (General Manager) Lesle (Gallimore) can talk more about it is, there’s a lot of things that don’t end up happening that we spend a lot of time talking about – just because there’s so much movement, there’s so many things that you can potentially do, but I think we always go in looking with a plan of what we want to try and get and at the end of the day, we’ve come out of the draft with three players that we really highlighted as players that we wanted to try and hopefully bring to the club in some capacity and we’ve been able to do that.”
General Manager Lesle Gallimore
On if there was any attempt to get into the first round:
“I think that (Head Coach) Laura (Harvey) is exactly right – there are so many things that go on leading up to the draft and especially when you get here onsite and the wheeling and dealing, it’s fascinating, really, from the inside. I’ve seen it, kind of inside outside a little bit, obviously, when I was at the University of Washington, but it’s entertaining, that’s for sure. We entertained a couple of different things that could’ve potentially put us into the first round, but when it came to either trades or money or looking at some of our players on our current roster and what could or couldn’t happen and the valuations of how that looked, it was a deep draft and knowing what our needs are, I think would be – and again, 17 is my lucky number, I tell people all the time, so there’s something to be said about getting that pick and getting Sam Meza at that level, we were really, really pleased. So, we’re happy the way it worked out, but there was definitely a lot of talk around, do we need a first round pick? Should we try to get one? What does that look like? That’s the fun of it. We got an entertaining 36 hours or so here.”
On if she was surprised to see Meza at the No. 17 overall pick:
“Pleasantly surprised that she was at [No.] 17.”
On how it feels to reunite with defender Makena Carr:
“I don’t know, we’ll see when I actually reunite with her. I think it’s exciting and if you look at our roster and you look traditionally at Reign is that we always want to try to have some local flavor and there were a few different players in the draft that we were looking at and when we got to this pick, one of the things about Makena is that she can kind of play all four corners of the field and it’s exciting. I think she’s worked really hard. She had a terrible injury at Washington – it was after I left and she worked hard to get back to where she is and I’m sure maybe someone’s already mentioned, but her coach at Saint Mary’s is Theresa Romagnolo, who played for me at Washington, and it’s a really cool moment for both of them and for Makena to be able to get to this point in her career. It’s exciting, it’s fun for her and for us, we’ll be really happy to see her when pre-season starts.”
On if there was any communication about Lavelle and Sonnett’s decision to sign with Gotham FC:
“For anyone that has been in pro sports and you look at what free agency is and you look at women’s soccer, I always try to step back and think about the evolution of our game and it’s really, really cool and exciting that these players are now empowered with this opportunity to kind of take control of their careers. With that said, I mean obviously huge amounts of disappointment on our end. I have known both of those players for an extremely long time and from a personal level, of course we’re going to miss them, but I’ll always be in their corner. It was one of those situations where Laura and I both and the club, again, I came in in June and did everything in my power to try to get them to re-sign and at the end of the day, it’s just exciting for women players to have choices and I can’t begrudge them and will always be in their corner except for the day that we have to play them.”
On if there is any update on re-signing free agents Tziarra King and Nikki Stanton:
“Coming soon.”
On if she thinks the club got what they wanted in the draft:
“Yeah, I think if you look at our roster and Laura says, we got to the final because of the depth and because of how – obviously, before I got here, the roster was built and we have so many talented players in every position and that doesn’t mean that you have to have – they’re just collectively a really talented group and we wanted to add to that, particularly with (forward Megan Rapinoe) Pinoe going out and we still have work to do on the roster, but these three players are all three players that can come in and we feel compete and learn and have the ability based on their preparation at the three places they went, the coaches they’ve been exposed to, to be able to add to that depth and it’s exciting to see. We’re, attacking-wise especially, excited to add a little bit of depth there and hopefully see something out of all of these players that gives us something in the attack that will be different than what we’ve seen up to this point or knew or whatever, but it’s just fun to have young players come in. I think you think about (defender) Shae Holmes, she was our only rookie last year – to have three of them is exciting to have a little bit more use in the team and again, three outstanding players from really good programs and good backgrounds from who have coached them and I think that’s part of what will help them succeed early on.”
On it being said that Meza is the reason you pay money to watch soccer and if that’s how she would describe her:
“Yeah, I think she is one of those types of players and again, the creativity or the kind of player that gets the ball or is in and around the attack that you kind of sit up on the edge of your seat and it was funny, I was at the draft and Laura can add on to this about Sam, but I was just kind of getting up out of my chair and walking around and I ran into the Penn State coach, Erica Walsh (Dambach), and she grabbed me and goes, ‘Oh my gosh, Sam Meza was the best player we saw this year by leaps. She was a good pick by you guys,’ so when you hear a collegiate coach from an opposing team that had five players picked in the draft say that Sam Meza was the best player they saw this season, gives you an indication of maybe what we’re in for here at the Reign and our fans, I think, will be excited to see her.