OL Reign Defender Sofia Huerta Inks Contract Extension

OL Reign today announced that it has re-signed defender Sofia Huerta to a three-year deal, extending Huerta’s time with the club through the 2024 season. Per league and club policy, the financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“We are very happy that Sofia has committed to the club for 3 more years,” said OL Reign head coach Laura Harvey. “Sof has shown that she has the ability to play at the highest level. Her recent call ups to the U.S. Women’s National Team are proof that she has what it takes to be an excellent player and a huge performer for our team.”

Huerta had a standout 2021 season. After a midseason transition to right back from her prior position as a forward, she was named to the NWSL Second XI. Huerta played the most minutes of any OL Reign player in the 2021 season, clocking over 2,000 minutes across all competitions. The defender added one goal and an impressive six assists.

She was named to the NWSL Team of the Month in September and October. The defender connected 735 passes throughout the season and had a passing success rate of 81.8%. Huerta earned two assists in OL Reign’s 3-2 victory over the Chicago Red Stars in October, including the game winning assist, to help the team earn three essential points near the end of the season.

Huerta originally joined OL Reign in February 2020, when the team acquired her in a trade with the Houston Dash. She played in two 2020 NWSL Challenge cup matches for the Reign, including her first Cascadia rivalry match against the Portland Thorns.

During the 2020 NWSL Fall Series, Huerta played ninety minutes in four matches for OL Reign. She managed nine shots for the team and scored one goal in the Reign’s 2-0 win over the Utah Royals. She continued to frequent OL Reign’s lineup in 2021, starting each 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup match. She played a total of 355 minutes during the tournament and scored OL Reign’s first goal in the team’s 3-2 win over the Chicago Red Stars.

Huerta, who made her debut for the U.S. Women’s National Team in September 2017, just one day after FIFA approved one-time change of national association, was recently called back into the U.S. Women’s National Team ranks for the first time since 2018.

She was called up in November to join the U.S. WNT on its trip to Australia. Huerta played 45 minutes in the United States’ first match against Australia where the team earned a 3-0 win. The outside back intercepted an attempted switch from Australia and kickstarted the American attack that led to a second goal. The next match, she earned a start and played 87 minutes in a 1-1 draw with Australia.

Huerta was also called into the U.S. Women’s National Team January camp. The camp was the first action of 2022 for the national team but did not include any international matches. Now at nine caps for the United States, Huerta was most recently called up for the SheBelieves Cup. She had a standout game again New Zealand, where she was wreaking havoc on offense and defense. The defender earned an assist in the game and forced an own goal from New Zealand.

“Playing for the Reign has been one of the highlights of my professional career,” said Huerta. “This organization is everything that I’ve ever wanted in a team. The culture at the Reign encourages me to be my best on and off the field and I’m continuously growing. I’m so lucky to call Seattle home for the next 3 years!!”