OL Reign sign five National Team Replacement Players
Three rookies who’ve been training with the club for months are joined by two pros who recently played in Denmark.
With seven players departing OL Reign for national team camps ahead of the Women’s World Cup, the club announced on Monday that they have signed five players to National Team Replacement Player contracts for the next two months. Three of the players – forward Jadyn Edwards, midfielder Natalie Viggiano and forward McKenzie Weinert — were trialists who have been with the team since preseason, while midfielder Kelly Fitzgerald and defender Kelly Ann Livingstone join after playing for professional clubs in Denmark.
“We’re pleased to add Jadyn, Natalie, and Kenzie to the active roster. In my period of time here, I’ve seen how integrated they already are with the team and staff; Kelly I’ve watched since she was a youth player and collegian, and Kelly Ann worked with Scott Parkinson at Gotham FC. Our staff has tracked them both as they excelled with Danish sides HB Køge and Fortuna Hjørring, respectively, and are confident they’ll be great additions to OL Reign whilst a significant group of our players are competing for their respective countries for a World Cup title in New Zealand & Australia,” said general manager Lesle Gallimore in a team release. “These five will help us continue our chase for the Challenge Cup, the Shield, and the NWSL Championship and have earned this opportunity.”
Edwards was selected by Racing Louisville in the third round of the 2023 NWSL Draft, but was released by the team in preseason and came to OL Reign. The Mill Creek, Washington, native attended the University of New Mexico, where she set university records in games played (94) and assists (24) while finishing third all-time in goals scored (31). She was a four-time Mountain West all-conference honoree for the Lobos.
Viggiano, a graduate of the University of Wisconsin at Madison, was selected 46th overall by OL Reign in the 2023 NWSL Draft and has been training with the club since preseason, earning a substitute appearance in the team’s preseason friendly against Club America Femenil, as well as in two games during the Portland preseason invitational.
Weinert was an undrafted non-roster invitee during preseason for the Reign after spending two years at the University of Washington as a transfer following three years at Oregon State University. She appeared in 37 games for the Huskies, scoring 8 goals and adding 5 assists. In preseason, she scored just 3 minutes after subbing on in OL Reign’s 3-1 victory over Club America Femenil.
Fitzgerald most recently played three seasons for HB Køge in Denmark, who finished top of the table in the Kvindeliga. In 42 appearances for HB Køge she scored 10 goals and added two assists. Originally from Laguna Niguel, California, Fitzgerald played collegiately for the University of California at Berkeley and started her professional career at Stabæk in Norway in 2018.
Livingstone joins the Reign from Fortuna Hjørring in Denmark, where she made eight appearances. The New Jersey native played four seasons at Georgetown University and was selected by Gotham FC 24th overall in the 2022 NWSL Draft. During her senior season at Georgetown, Livingstone was named to the All-Big East First Team and was Big East Defensive Player of the Year. She spent one season with the NJ/NY side but did not see the field before being waived ahead of the 2023 season.
“All five of these players have earned a spot on our roster,” said head coach Laura Harvey in a team release. “We’re adding two players who developed their skills overseas in Denmark and gained tremendous experience and Jadyn, Natalie and McKenzie have a true understanding of the way we play and have all proven that they deserve to compete for us. I’m excited to bring in this group and see what they will contribute while several of our players will be proudly representing their countries in the World Cup.”
All five players will be eligible for selection starting with Wednesday’s NWSL Challenge Cup match against Portland Thorns. That game kicks off at 7:30 PM PT at Providence Park in Portland, and will stream on Paramount+ for fans in the US, on TSN+ for Canadian fans, and on the NWSL website for all other international fans.