OL Reign Players Make the Most of CBA Break

After a week off, OL Reign returned to training this week, ahead of their match against Angel City FC on Saturday. Over their week-long break, mandated by the newly signed NWSL CBA, Reign players had a chance to enjoy some time off.

“It was a nice mental refresher for me as a player, especially as a goalkeeper,” said Phallon Tullis-Joyce. “You’re just constantly under that intense focus and now I just had nothing to do except enjoy the time with my family. My back is completely burnt but my stomach isn’t because I just spent the whole-time snorkeling, so my back was exposed in the water. But yeah, it was a great time.”

Tullis-Joyce has caught the eye of fans this season, not just for her stellar performances in goal, but also for her passion for the environment off the field. The goalkeeper often spends her free time volunteering at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma as a diver in their Pacific Seas Aquarium, leading dive presentations on the Northwest Waters habitat, marine life in the Puget Sound area and sustainability and helping our oceans or creating fun videos with animal and environmental “phun phacts.”

Over the break, she had a chance to take her passion for the environment and ocean to the U.S. Virgin Islands with her family.

“I met up with my family – my mom, dad and brother on St. Croix and ended up scuba diving quite a bit. It was some of the best scuba spots I’ve been to so far and it was awesome. I saw a bunch of turtles and sharks,” said Tullis-Joyce.

“I saw my first ever Frogfish too. They look kind of ugly, but they’re like cute ugly. Then a juvenile Smooth Trunkfish that look like little dice. So yeah, I was like screaming under water with how excited I was.”

After a refreshing break, the young goalkeeper, who is among the league leaders in saves (45) and clean sheets (6), is ready to get back on the field and work through the second half of the season with her teammates.

“Now that we have hit that halfway point, it’s nice to just see us rolling with it and having the team back again. Really, it’s just getting those points now. You know, now it’s crunch time and I think we have a lot of good things coming for us.”

OL Reign forward Ally Watt also spent her week off visiting family and friends and appreciating a mental break.

“For my break, I decided to relax and go see some friends and loved ones because we don’t get to see them that much with us traveling a lot. It was great to just take a rest, watch some Netflix on the couch and play with some dogs and babies and see how my friends are doing,” said Watt.

Watt, who has been a reliable attacking force for OL Reign and is one of three players to appear in every match this season, reflected on the importance of having time off during the season.

“I probably just enjoyed the mental break the most. I think that all of us need it, every single player. It’s a long season and it’s weird to think that we are only halfway through it and we are about to have a really busy two months, so I think that mental break to turn it off for a second and just really be in the presence of your loved ones is really something that helps make you relaxed and ready to come back. I think everyone is really excited for the rest of the season.”

For Watt, it is extra exciting to have the full team back after the international break, as OL Reign had eight players away on international duty.

“It was so weird having them gone. It was lonely and then we had a rough time with the COVID thing going on, so I think it’s so good with everyone coming to the locker room and seeing everyone’s faces. Our national team players were gone for like six weeks and it was so weird not having them there, so it’s just a great atmosphere to have everyone back again.”

With the majority of players back from international duty and the team rejuvenated from a week of rest, OL Reign is ready to take on Angel City FC at Banc of America Stadium in Los Angeles. The match kicks off at 7:30 p.m. PT and is available to stream on Paramount+ and FOX13+ in the Seattle area.