Seattle Reign FC announced today that Lauren Barnes will return to the club for the 2018 season. Barnes, who is currently playing with Melbourne City FC in the W-League, will stay with the NWSL club that she’s called home since 2013.
After Women’s Professional Soccer folded in 2012, Barnes decided to take the year off from playing professional soccer. She took an assistant coaching position at the University of California, Riverside, before deciding to submit her name for the supplemental draft for the inaugural 2013 NWSL season.
The 28-year-old defender started in all 20 of Seattle’s matches in 2016, helping the club set two NWSL defensive records: most consecutive clean sheets (5) and most minutes without conceding a goal (531).