Stars ‘clinch’ wooden spoon after loss to Reign

Chicago Stars FC 1-3 Seattle Reign

EVANSTON, IL—For the third time in four seasons, Chicago Stars FC will get the wooden spoon in the NWSL. That was confirmed on Sunday night after a 3-1 loss to Seattle Reign at Martin Stadium at Northwestern University. Seattle move to eighth in the table with the win with two matches remaining.

Jess Fishlock sent a dime of a diagonal for Maddie Mercado for the opening score in the 38th minute to put Seattle ahead. Until that point, shots were few and far between in the first half.

In the second half, more shots from Seattle and more goals late. In the 80th minute, Sofia Huerta was able to find Nerilla Mondesir in the box to make it 2-0 past Halle Mackiewicz who was making her first start in goal for the Stars. Four minutes later, Brittany Ratcliffe sent a cross into the box that was headed in by Mercardo for her second night.

The Stars were able to net a consolation goal in the 90th minute. Maitane sent a long ball Simone Charley’s way. Charley got in behind the defense and got it past Claudia Dickey for her first goal as a member of the Stars on their only shot on target this evening.

Despite this latest defeat, interim coach Karina Baez still sees some positives as the season nears its conclusion.

“We have more chances. At some point, this game, we have the thought that we will bring something else from this, some points from this match,” said Baez. “We were more fluent with the progression on the ball, [more so in]the second half, the first half we were struggling, and keeping or remaining with the ball, we recover a lot of ball. We can defend, or we have the ball back in a higher block, and that’s important for us.”

The Stars will play their final home match of 2026 on Friday night against Houston Dash. Kickoff is at 7pm CT on NWSL+. Seattle will visit Utah Royals in a bid to consolidate a playoff spot on Friday (6:30pm PT, NWSL+).

SCORING SUMMARY:
SEA-Maddie Mercado (Fishlock) 38
SEA-Nerilla Mondesir (Huerta) 80
SEA-Maddie Mercado (Ratcliffe) 84
CHI-Simone Charley (Maitane) 90

BOOKING SUMMARY:
None

CHICAGO RED STARS (4-3-3): #22-Halle Mackiewicz; #3-Sam Staab, #34-Tessa Dellarose, #20-Bea Franklin, #11-Nadia Gomes; #14-Taylor Wood, #10-Brianna Pinto (#15-Elisa Evans 89), #28-Emma Egizii (#18-Simone Charley 60); #23-Micayla Johnson (#77-Maitane 89), #9-Mallory Swanson (#31-Anna Gasper 82), #4-Jenna Bike (#5-Michelle Alozie 60)

Subs not used: #1-Alyssa Naeher, #27-Katie Atkinson, #6-Oihane Valdezate, #25-Aaliyah Farmer

SEATTLE REIGN (4-3-3): #1-Claudia Dickey; #23-Jordyn Bugg, #22-Ryanne Brown (#24-Madison Curry 75), #21-Phoebe McClernon, #11-Sofia Huerta; #20-Sam Meza, #10-Jess Fishlock (#17-Sally Menti 86), #16-Ainsley McCammon; #12-Holly Ward (#13-Brittany Ratcliffe 65), #19-Mia Fishel (#30-Nerilla Mondesit 75), #2-Maddie Mercado (#8-Angharad James-Turner 86)

Subs not used: #38-Cassie Miller, #7-Emeri Adames, #14-Emily Mason, #25-Shea Holmes

TOTAL SHOTS:  CHI 7-18 SEA
SHOTS ON GOAL:  CHI 1-5 SEA
FOULS:  CHI 10-6 SEA
OFFSIDES:  CHI 0-5 SEA
CORNER KICKS:  CHI 1-2 SEA
SAVES:  CHI 2-0 SEA

Referee: Jeremy Scheer
Assistant Referees: Christian Little, Matt Trotter
Fourth Official: Ryan Homik
VAR: Corbyn May
AVAR: Karsten Gillwald
Weather: Sunny and 61º
Attendance: 3,501
Woman of the Match: Maddie Mercado (SEA)