Portland Thorns FC Defender Katherine Reynolds Retiring
After a decade in professional soccer, and five years in Portland, Katherine Reynolds is hanging up her cleats. The Thorns FC defender officially announced her retirement on Friday.
Reynolds called playing in Portland “a dream come true.”
She added “I have played for many amazing teams in a lot of great cities all over the world throughout the past eleven years, but Portland is truly special. I am so lucky to have played for such a professional organization with high standards and expectations.”
Reynolds appeared in 77 career games (67 starts) across all competitions with the Thorns. She finished eighth all-time in appearances (70), games started (61) and minutes played (5,626) in Portland.
The 33-year-old also helped the Thorns win an NWSL shield in 2016 and the NWSL Championship in 2017.
As a defender she didn’t have a ton of scoring opportunities, but in her 100th NWSL game — May 30, 2018 against North Carolina — she scored her first NWSL goal.
“To my teammates, every single one of you has made an impact on me, and I am fortunate that I got to play alongside and learn from so many incredible players throughout my career,” she said. “And to the fans, thank you for making it so easy to fall in love with the city of Portland. This feeling is certainly bittersweet, but I am looking forward to this next chapter, and I will be a Thorns fan for the rest of my life.”
She also got praise — written and via video — from her coach, Mark Parsons.
“Katherine poured her heart into this team and was an integral part of our success on the field over the last five seasons, leading by example and striving for excellence in everything she did,” said Thorns FC head coach Mark Parsons, on the team’s website. “As a person, she made everyone around her better in so many ways and is loved by all. While we are going to miss her, I am excited to see what her next steps will be, knowing the entire Thorns family will be cheering for her.”
Congratulations @KReynolds16 😢❤️ A few words from me. You have impacted so many throughout your career and want to encourage them to share that. I nominate @asalem6 @EstelleJohnson @LDoran33 to share a short video and to nominate 3 others. #ThankYouKath pic.twitter.com/K8DmfvR548
— Mark Parsons (@mparsons_1) October 30, 2020
Before her time in Portland, she played for Western New York and Washington in the NWSL. Her sits ninth all-time in games played (129), 10th in minutes played (10,817) and 11th in games started (120).
Reynolds started her pro career in Women’s Professional Soccer with the Philadelphia Independence in 2010. Then, she signed with the Atlanta Beat for the 2011 season. She also played overseas in Germany and Australia.
