Jess Fishlock Reaches Milestone 200th Appearance
On Saturday, a Reign FC original, Jess Fishlock, made her milestone 200th NWSL regular season appearance in the club’s road win over the North Carolina Courage, becoming just the fourth NWSL player to reach the lauded milestone and third to do so with one team.
“I think to do it in this league, for one, and with the same team is pretty cool,” said Fishlock. “Also a testament to longevity and it’s not easy to do that these days. I am just super happy and thankful that I have got to do it with this club and am able to stay with this club throughout the entire existence and on its journey.”
The Welsh international signed with Seattle ahead of the inaugural NWSL season in 2013 and has been the club ever since, through every change and challenge. A fan favorite, the feisty midfielder has started in 195 of her 200 appearances (97.5%) and played the fourth most minutes in NWSL history with 16,865.
A mainstay in the Reign’s lineup for over a decade, Fishlock has averaged 84 minutes played per match across her NWSL career. Her veteran knowledge and experience bring an important sense of leadership to the team, on the field and in the locker room.
“When these milestones come along, you realize that when you go through game and when you go through your career, you’re not really thinking about this stuff,” shared Fishlock. “I was never thinking about hitting 200 games for the Reign It’s just one of those things where it’s just day-to-day work, right? You come in and you work day-to-day, and you do your best all the time and your career kind of takes you on that path.”
In her time with the Reign, she has led the team to three NWSL Shields (2014, 2015, 2022) and three appearances in the NWSL Championship (2014, 2015, 2023).
Fittingly, Fishlock scored her first NWSL goal against the Portland Thorns in 2013 and has since amassed 43 goals in league play, most recently scoring against the Courage. She ranks second in goalscoring for the Reign and leads the team all-time in assists (28).
“I always find that with these milestones they’re more something you get to look back on, rather than realize in the moment that this is where you’re at,” she said. “You get to look back on what has been a really steady, consistent, reliable career. Not many people get to do that and I guess that’s where you get to really appreciate your work and what you’ve done.”
She was named NWSL MVP in 2021 and has been named to the NWSL Best XI First Team five times, the second most in league history. She has also earned two NWSL Best XI Second Team honors, bringing her total Best XI honors to seven, which ranks second all-time in the league.
Balancing her club career with her prolific international career, Fishlock became the first Welsh player to earn 150 caps for the national team last year, after previously becoming the first Welsh player to earn 100 caps. She leads Wales in goals scored among both men and women and has won the Welsh Footballer of the Year title five times.
Fishlock remarked, “It’s a fun thing for me to have achieved and like I said, just really happy that I get to do it at this club.”