Kim Little Arrives in Seattle

OL Reign announced on May 29 that the club had signed Kim Little on loan from Arsenal Women. After a visa setback, Little has arrived in Seattle and is ready to hit the ground running. This morning, she had her first training session with the team.

“Yeah, the first training was good. It’s just nice to be here and to be with the group and get ready for the game tomorrow. I’m just really happy to be back in Seattle and really look forward to playing with this Reign team,” said Little.

The 32-year-old midfielder is notorious among OL Reign fans for her incredible performance with the club from 2014-2016. In that time, Little made 63 regular season appearances and scored 32 goals while notching 16 assists. She was the Reign’s leading goal scorer in 2014 and 2015 and was named NWSL MVP in 2014.

Little was an integral part of the 2014 and 2015 Reign squad that won back-to-back NWSL Shields, along with current OL Reign teammates, Lu Barnes, Jess Fishlock and Megan Rapinoe.

“It’s honestly really great to be around the familiar faces. I’m sure lots of good stories will come out of it. While there are a few familiar faces, there are also a lot of new ones. It puts me out of my comfort zone and will push me in different ways, so I’m excited for that and for the change in environment.”

With Arsenal, Little started 69 of 73 games from 2017-2022. She scored 27 goals for the team and won the WSL title during the 2018-2019 season. Though she has played in the NWSL before, Little noted that there is a big difference between playing in the NWSL and other leagues.

“I’ve obviously not played in the league for a few years. It’s quite different from England in a lot of ways. The big one is everyone says it’s more transitional, so there are different aspects of this league that are more challenging in different ways, so I’m excited to have that little change and work to adapt to it.”

With OL Reign having eight players away on international duty, head coach Laura Harvey knew Little would be a great addition to the club and help the younger players grow with her experience.

“We lose a lot of players out of our midfield and during [the international] period and she's one of the best players in the world, in my opinion,” head coach Laura Harvey said following the announcement of signing Little on May 29, 2022. “In this past year watching her play at Arsenal again, I think she's back in the form that we saw of her in that 2014, 2015 period when she was just unstoppable. I think being able to bring someone like that back into this club shows our ambition. It shows our willingness to want to go the extra mile for our players and, I think, not only will Kim bring quality experience; she knows what this league's about, but she'll also help our young players.”

Little will be available for selection in OL Reign’s match against the North Carolina Courage tomorrow at 7:00 p.m. at Lumen Field. Tickets are available here.