The Legacy of Lu Barnes

Last weekend, OL Reign took on the Kansas City Current at Lumen Field in its annual Pride Match Presented by Starbucks, drawing the fourth largest standalone crowd in club history. In an action-packed night, the club celebrated Pride with the community, earned an important three points in their 2-1 win over the Current and also celebrated another huge milestone – The team’s captain and Reign original, Lauren “Lu” Barnes earned her 200th NWSL regular season appearance.

The defender became the first ever NWSL player to reach this milestone and her impact on the Reign and the NWSL cannot be understated. She leads the league in appearances (200), starts (196) and minutes played (17,328) - no other player is within 1,000 minutes of Barnes. A truly reliable leader, Barnes has never missed more than five games in a season, across all 10 NWSL seasons to ever be played. Since 2013, the Reign have played 214 regular season matches – Barnes has played in 200 of those games (93%), contributing 17,328 minutes of playing time to the Reign’s success over the years.

A difference maker on the pitch, Barnes is a natural leader on the team. Her veteran presence is essential to shaping the Reign on and off the pitch. With Barnes as part of the backline, the Reign have a record of 95 wins, 56 losses and 49 draws. Without her on the pitch, the team has only earned six total wins. She has been a part of all but four clean sheets that the Reign have earned in the regular season, with 58 under her belt.

“I think it's always nice playing next to (defender Lauren Barnes) Lu Barnes. I think she brings so much experience and a vocal presence to the backline and that's something that I've learned from and tried to add to my game as well,” said OL Reign defender Sam Hiatt when asked about Barnes in July 2022.

Her dominance on the field has not wavered since she joined the Reign in 2013 via the NWSL Supplemental Draft. The team’s first season was tough, but Barnes was a key part of the Reign’s lineup immediately. She was one of two players to appear in every match during the Reign’s inaugural season and the only player to start each match. During this first season, she earned her first NWSL assist.

In 2014 and 2015, things really started to pick up for the Reign. The team accomplished two back-to-back record-breaking seasons, earning the NWSL Shield and making it to the NWSL Championship both years. In 2014, the Reign’s backline, led by Barnes, was essential to the team’s record-setting 16 game unbeaten streak. Barnes earned her first NWSL end of season honors in 2014, as she was named to the NWSL Second XI team after the season concluded.

The next two seasons, Barnes once again earned NWSL end of season honors, this time being named to the NWSL Best XI in 2015 and 2016, as well as taking home the title of NWSL Defender of the Year in 2016, becoming the second player in league history to win this award and the first player in Reign history.

Back with the Reign for the 2017 season, Barnes was named co-captain of the team, alongside teammate and fellow Reign original, Jess Fishlock. She continued to lead the Reign’s backline through 2018 and during the 2019 season, she was a Defender of the Year finalist and was named to the NWSL Second XI for her efforts throughout the season.

In her ninth season with the Reign, Barnes made history. On May 15, 2021, Barnes became the second player in NWSL history to play in 150 regular season matches and the first to do so playing for a single club.

After spending the off season as a free agent during the NWSL’s first year implementing a free agency policy, Barnes made the decision to sign a two- year contract with the club through 2024, on January 10th, 2023. Exactly five months later, on June 10, Barnes made history once more, becoming the first NWSL player to play in 200 regular season matches, and she did it all with one club.

“Honestly, I think for Pinoe and for Lu being originals at this club and seeing this project through from start to today, I think, for me, they were the biggest signings of the season because it shows what this club is and when they have the opportunity to literally sign for anyone in the league, they still chose to stay here and I think that speaks volumes of who this club is and who they are as people and Lu has been a big part of creating what this club is and will be for the foreseeable future, which I'm really happy about," said OL Reign head coach Laura Harvey when Barnes re-signed with the team during the off season.

Beyond all of her on-field accomplishments, her leadership and drive off the field is a huge part of what makes Lu Barnes so quintessential to the Reign. She has helped to shape OL Reign’s culture over the last 11 years and continues to show up as a leader every day. She has been an important part of the club’s sustainability efforts and continues to be involved with OL Reign Academy.

The Reign original has played a large role in forming the DNA of the Reign. Through every change and challenge the club has faced, Barnes has been there to push the team forward. In particular, Barnes is heavily involved in various community engagement opportunities for the club. From being the team’s Nationwide Community Impact Award player ambassador, to visiting local business with Intentionalist, you can always count on Barnes to make a positive impact on those around her.

Well known for her dedication to sustainability, Barnes is a driving force behind the club’s sustainability efforts. The defender even created her own M.A.D Travel Kits. Short for “Make a Difference,” M.A.D travel kits are eco-friendly travel kits filled with everyday products that are useful for professional soccer players. The purpose the project is to encourage professional athletes to support sustainability efforts with their everyday habits and to encourage other professionals and fans to make an effort to do the same.

When asked about Barnes making her 200th appearance, Harvey said, “Yeah, I mean the fact that she can get it the game after the first coach gets it in the league says a lot about who she is. She's consistently available and consistently performs. I think her journey with this club has been legendary and will continue to be that way long after she decides to leave. I think that she definitely doesn't get the credit she deserves. This milestone is a huge one and it's a huge one to get first and yeah, I mean, I can't speak highly enough of her, to be honest."

After her 200th match, Barnes had a chance to reflect on the occasion, “Yeah, I've had a lot of time to think about it - 200 games in 11 years. Today, we kind of talked in the locker room about how three points is huge for us. We've been working hard, we've been a little unlucky in some games. So, for me, it's another game. We've been focused on what's ahead of us, game by game. So, I'm proud of the team, we put up a good performance together, today, and yeah, 200 with one club, I couldn't be more proud. Yeah, I'm happy."