Seattle Reign - who is coming back for 2024 season

Bethany Balcer

Bethany Balcer, a forward for Seattle Reign FC, has extended her contract with the team until the end of the 2025 NWSL season. She became the first NAIA player to play in the NWSL when she joined the Reign in 2019 as an undrafted free agent. She is now in her sixth season with the club and has the third most seniority on the current roster, behind only Reign veterans Lauren Barnes and Jess Fishlock.

As a veteran forward for the Reign, Balcer has the fifth-highest number of regular season appearances (88) and the fourth-highest number of goals (28) in the club's history. She joined the league in 2019 and since then, she has led the team in appearances, goals and shots (163). She also ranks third in the league for appearances, fourth for goals scored and fifth for total shots. In regular season play, Balcer has made 67 starts, played 5,663 minutes and provided four assists.

At 26 years old, she was one of only two players on the team to play in all 22 regular season games, along with captain Lauren Barnes. Balcer had 1,415 minutes on the field in 19 starts, scoring a team-high six goals and taking 31 shots. She also contributed one assist in the regular season and one assist in the NWSL Championship.

Since joining the league in 2019, the NWSL Rookie of the Year has been the top scorer for her team every season. She is also one of only two players in the NWSL who have scored at least six goals per season since 2019. Balcer is famous for her aerial skills, with 13 goals from headers since 2019, the highest number in the NWSL and five more than the next best player in that period.