OL Reign Legend: Steph Cox – Former OL Reign Player
The Legends Campaign, a partnership between OL Reign and Starbucks, honors women for their extraordinary contributions to our community in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Prior to OL Reign’s NWSL semifinal match on October 23 against the Kansas City Current, OL Reign recognized Steph Cox, former Reign player for her outstanding work and profound impact in the community.
Cox, a legend on an off the field, signed with the Reign midway through their inaugural 2013 season and made four appearances before quickly became a mainstay in the Reign’s backline. An integral part of the iconic Reign squad that won back-to-back shields in 2014 and 2015, Cox dominated the defensive line for the Reign, using her skill as well as her impeccable leadership abilities to lead the team to a league-low of 20 goals conceded throughout the 2014 season.
The defender earned her first NWSL assist that season after combining with Reign midfielder Jess Fishlock. The 2014 Reign squad would go on to win the NWSL Shield for the first time in club history. Her domination of the left side of the field earned Cox NWSL Second XI honors. Going into the 2015 season, Cox remained a reliable part of the Reign’s lineup. Her ability to control the left side of the field was valuable on defense but also on offense, as she notched four assists in 2015.
In another memorable season, the Reign finished the season in first place once again and captured the NWSL Shield for the second consecutive season. Cox also snagged her second NWSL Second XI honor following the conclusion of the season. That year, she announced that she would be retiring as a player, but fully intended to stay in the soccer world in other ways.
After the veteran player retired, she pivoted into the coaching world. She coached the Gig Harbor High School girls’ soccer team, before returning to the Reign, this time as part of the club’s technical staff under head coach Laura Harvey. After stepping away from the club for its 2018 season, Cox re-joined the Reign as an assistant coach under head coach Vlatko Andonovski in 2019.
She then returned to the team as a player in 2019 and played with the Reign through 2021, where she brought her veteran leadership to a young team. Cox has always been a leader for the Reign, on and off the field, and truly embodies the love of the game.
In 2020, Cox made 8 starts during the Challenge Cup and Fall Series. She accumulated 688 minutes over the two competitions, the third highest of any OL Reign player. During the 2021 season, Cox made two appearances during the NWSL Challenge Cup and two appearances during the NWSL regular season.
Most recently, Cox stepped up as the coach of the Puget Sound women's soccer team and earned NWC Coach of the Year honors, leading Puget Sound to its second consecutive season with at least 16 wins and the most goals scored by a Logger team in more than 10 years.
Outside of her impactful NWSL play and coaching career, Cox has 89 caps for the U.S. Women’s National Team. She debuted for the team in 2006. Cox helped the U.S. WNT win Olympic Gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and also appeared for the U.S. at the 2007 and 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cups, where the team picked up a bronze medal in 2007, followed by a silver medal in 2011.