Megan Rapinoe prepares for changing USWNT role amidst OL Reign uncertainty

In  The Journey to the Cup , The Athletic tells the stories of players and teams as they work towards a place in the 2023 Women’s World Cup. Follow along as we track their progress as they prepare both mentally and physically for a chance to shine on the game’s biggest stage.

Megan Rapinoe strolled into the press conference room, deep in the construction-filled hallways of Lumen Field, back in her pre-game fit which she later called “babu for the bois” via her Instagram. She had paired an oversized cream sweater vest with a scarf over her fresh cut, the lavender color of her hair just peeking through. 

The mood in Seattle on Saturday was considerably better than the week prior, with OL Reign forward Veronica Latsko joining Rapinoe on the podium. Latkso had scored her first NWSL brace in the 4-1 win over Angel City; Rapinoe had provided three assists in the match, making her the fifth NWSL player to manage the feat. 

The week before, OL Reign had been on the opposite end of the exact same scoreline to top of the table Gotham FC. Making it worse, it was their second loss in a row, after dropping a 1-0 result to North Carolina on the road. 

So Rapinoe’s playfulness — delighting in getting Latsko to crack, shouting out Quinn’s first ever NWSL goal (“‘Scuze me, on the eve of Pride Month? Big gay goal? I just love it.”), calling out Laura Harvey’s outfit for the Gotham loss — was more than just a return to form, but a repudiation of the narratives swirling around the team before they could even truly gather steam.

Advertisement

“You’re going to have periods in the season that are just tough,” Rapinoe said after the Angel City win. 

She knows the rhythms of a NWSL season better than most, with this being her 11th