Megan Rapinoe’s Jersey #15 Retirement Ceremony

August 9, 2024• byMichael Strangeways

In a ceremony sure to bring tears to the eyes of dedicated fans of Seattle Reign, the city’s pro women’s soccer club, and its star player MEGAN RAPINOE, her iconic #15 jersey will be retired at a special ceremony on Sunday, August 25th. Rapinoe ended her professional career last November after a decade with the Reign. She became internationally known as one of the star players in the world of women’s professional soccer and for being a leading advocate for LGBTQ causes. Along with fiancé Sue Bird, the superstar Seattle Storm basketball player, the two have become THE power couple in the world of women’s sports with both athletes achieving Olympic gold medals in their respective sports.

When the jersey retirement was announced earlier this year, Rapinoe had this to say:

“I have lived so much life in this jersey and I’m humbled to see it retire alongside me. It represents so much more than myself – a team, a city, and a lifetime of memories,” said Rapinoe. “Thank you to the Reign and to my teammates for the love, the support and the opportunity to leave a piece of my heart on the field.”

And, Reign head coach Laura Harvey had this to say:

“It’s nearly impossible to put into words the impact Pinoe has had in this sport, the league, this city and especially our club,” said Seattle Reign FC Head Coach Laura Harvey. “She cemented herself as one of the greatest and we’re proud to celebrate all that she has accomplished on the field while wearing the number 15. She made an everlasting impact in our locker room through her loyalty, leadership, courage and commitment. We can’t wait to celebrate P later this season.”

You can still snag tickets to the Reign match vs North Carolina Courage for Sunday, August 25, at 7:00 pm where Rapinoe’s jersey will be retired. Go to https://www.ticketmaster.com/seattle-reign-fc-vs-north-carolina-seattle-washington-08-25-2024/event/

More from the press release:

Seattle Reign FC announced its plan to retire club legend Megan Rapinoe’s iconic number 15 jersey to honor her illustrious career with the team. A celebration will be held at Lumen Field during the Reign’s match against the North Carolina Courage on Sunday, August 25, at 7:00 p.m. PT.

Rapinoe, one of three players to wear the crest from the club’s inaugural season in 2013 through the 2023 season, becomes the first player in Reign history to have their jersey number retired. Activations and celebrations surrounding the match will be announced at a later date.

Rapinoe, who became an integral part of establishing the Reign’s identity on and off the pitch as soon as she stepped foot in Seattle, ended her Seattle Reign FC career with 115 regular season appearances and 11 playoff appearances. Across those matches, the prolific attacker tallied 54 goals and 28 assists, both Reign FC records. In addition to her record-setting goals and assists, Rapinoe ranks fourth in regular season appearances, starts and minutes played in club history. The forward was honored among the first and second teams of the NWSL’s Best XI Awards a combined six times throughout her career, the second most in Reign history.

Beyond her excellence on the pitch, Rapinoe has been a trailblazer for human rights her entire career and her passion is reflected in the legacy she has left behind in the Seattle Reign FC organization. Always an outspoken leader in the locker room, Rapinoe left her mark in the soccer community and the world as a whole. Well-known for her advocacy related to LGBTQ+ rights, racial justice, gender equity and more, Rapinoe has been honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom and was named one of Time’s Women of the Year.

“The number 15 jersey will forever be remembered for not only the person who wore it, but for everything and everyone she represented along her journey with the club,” said Seattle Reign FC General Manager Lesle Gallimore. “Megan Rapinoe’s legacy and the retirement of her Seattle Reign FC jersey, the first in club history, is fitting, deserved, and hopefully a reminder to everyone that we were fortunate to witness her time here.”

Fans can secure tickets to see Megan Rapinoe’s jersey retirement celebration in person now! There are a variety of ticket options available, including premium and group tickets, in addition to single tickets, Flex Plans and Season Ticket Memberships. To view all of Reign FC’s ticket options visit https://www.reignfc.com/tickets.

About the Author: Michael Strangeways

As the Editorial Director/Co-Owner, Michael Strangeways writes, edits and does about a million other jobs for Seattle Gay Scene, Puget Sound's most visited LGBTQ news, arts and entertainment website now celebrating its 14th year as a media outlet. A semi-proud Midwesterner by birth, he's lived in Seattle since 2000. He's also a film producer who would like you to check out the Jinkx Monsoon documentary, "Drag Becomes Him" now available on Amazon.com. In his spare time, he gets slightly obsessive about his love for old movies, challenging theater, "otters", vodka, chocolate, "I,Claudius", Lizzie Borden, real books made out of paper, disaster films, show tunes, Weimar era Germany, flea markets, pop surrealistic art, the sex lives of Hollywood actors both living and dead, kitties, chicken fried steak, haute couture and David Bowie. But, not necessarily in that order.