Lauren Barnes — Seattle Reign FC

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3 / Lauren Barnes

PRONOUNS: She/Her

POSITION: Defender

HEIGHT: 5-5

INTERNATIONAL: USA

HOMETOWN: Upland, CA

DOB: May 31, 1989 (34 years old)

COLLEGE: UCLA

PREVIOUS CLUB: -

NWSL EXPERIENCE: 12 (12th Reign)

NWSL Stats

ACQUIRED: Selected as the 10th overall pick in the NWSL Supplemental Draft on February 7, 2013.

TRANSACTIONS: On January 10, 2023, re-signed with Seattle Reign to a two-year contract extension through the 2024 season.

PROFESSIONAL (NWSL): Entering her 12th year, Barnes has totaled 238 club appearances across all NWSL competitions, the most in Reign history...In regular season play, Barnes holds the all-time league record in appearances (211), starts (207) and minutes played (18,298)...The veteran was the first player in NWSL history to reach 200 regular season appearances (vs. KC, 6/10)...Was named 2016 NWSL Defender of the Year, becoming the first player to win the award for the Reign and second player in NWSL history…An NWSL Best XI First Team selection in consecutive seasons (2015-16) and earned Best XI Second Team honors in 2014 and 2019…Has played in at least 20 regular season games in eight of 10 seasons in the league...One of 12 active players to have been rostered in every NWSL season and is one of just three active players to have been with the same club every year since 2013, joining teammate Jess Fishlock.

2023 • SEA • 22/22 (3/3)

Captained the team to its third NWSL Championship appearance...Was one of 20 players in the NWSL to start in all 22 regular season games...Totaled a team-high 1,929 minutes and recorded one assist (vs. CHI, 4/22), her first since 2016...Finished with 34 tackles won and 34 interceptions, which were both tied for eighth in the league, respectively.

2022 • SEA • 19/19 (1/1)

As the team captain, started in all 19 games played, recording 37 clearances, 33 interceptions, 21 corners and five blocks...Ranked second on the team in starts, corners and interceptions…Helped the Reign end the season tied for the most clean sheets (nine) while allowing the fewest goals in the league (19).

2021 • SEA • 21/20 (1/1)

Started in 20 of 21 games played for a total of 1,790 minutes…Tallied 62 clearances and 37 interceptions, helping the team earn six clean sheets.

2019 • SEA • 23/23 (1/1)

Earned NWSL Best XI Second Team honors for the second time after starting in all 23 games played, the most appearances on the team…Finished with a season-high 2,070 minutes played, the fourth-most minutes played in the league among all defenders…Registered 74 clearances and 33 interceptions, while helping the team earn seven clean sheets.

2018 • SEA • 19/18 (1/1)

Played in 19 games for 1,679 minutes, making 18 starts…Recorded 95 clearances, which ranked eighth in the league among all defenders, adding 45 interceptions…Helped the team set a club record in total clean sheets in a season with 12.

2017 • SEA • 22/21

Made 22 appearances with 21 starts, recording 72 clearances and 45 interceptions, ranking second on the team in both categories.

2016 • SEA • 20/20

Selected as the 2016 NWSL Defender of the Year – the first player in Reign history to win the award – after starting in all 20 games played for 1,776 total minutes, which was the second most on the team…Earned NWSL Best XI First Team honors for the second consecutive season…Helped the team set two league records: most consecutive shutouts (five) and most minutes without conceding a goal (531)…Finished the season with the most shutouts in the league (eight) and the fewest minutes trailing matches (317)…Recorded one goal, two assists, 59 clearances and 36 interceptions…Finished the season tied for the sixth-most clearances in the league among all defenders.

2015 • SEA • 20/20 (2/2)

Started in all 20 games played for the Reign, helping the team win its second consecutive NWSL Shield and an appearance in the NWSL Championship...Earned NWSL Best XI First Team honors for the first time...Tallied her first-ever goal and assist, finishing the season with one goal and two assists.

2014 • SEA • 23/22 (2/2)

Started in 22 of 23 games played, recording three shots...Helped the club finish first in the regular season to win the NWSL Shield...Led the team to its first-ever appearance in the NWSL Championship... Earned NWSL Best XI Second Team honors for the first time.

2013 • SEA • 22/22

Started in the club’s first-ever match on April 14 and continued to start in every game of the season, playing 90 minutes in all but three games...Finished with one assist and four shots.

INTERNATIONAL (USA): Called up to the 2016 SheBelieves Cup with the USWNT...Attended U.S. Soccer U-23 Invitation Cup in 2015, member of U-23s that won Four Nations Tournament in England in 2010…Played six times for U-23s, recording two assists in 2009...Played for the U.S. silver medalists at Pan American Games in Brazil and traveled with the U-20s to Mexico in 2007.

UCLA (2007-10): Started in 95 of 97 matches played for the Bruins…Recorded eight goals and 25 assists…Led the team in assists in back-to-back seasons as a junior (2009) and senior (2010)…Was a First-Team All-Pac-10 selection in 2010 and a Second-Team All-Pac-10 selection in 2009.

YOUTH: Attended Upland High School in Upland, California where she was a four-time first-team All-CIF selection...Was rated as the No. 2 overall recruit in the nation by RISE Magazine and Soccer Buzz...Named Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of California...In 2005 and 2006 was named Parade All-American, NSCAA/Adidas Girls Youth All-American and 2006 CIF-Southern Section Co-Player of the Year...Played for local club soccer team, Arsenal FC.

FOOTBALL FOR HER: Barnes dedicates her time to work closely with Football For Her, a nonprofit organization built to create a safe space for those who identify as female or nonbinary, offering mentorship and professional resources that may not otherwise be available. The organization educates, motivates and develops confidence on and off the field, helping youth participants reach their goals regardless of their economic standing. During this past offseason, Barnes spent time in California to help coach and mentor the youth at Football For Her, along with teammate Alana Cook.

COMMON GOAL: Barnes partners with Common Goal, an organization that also works closely with Football For Her. The organization aims to inspire everyone in football to collaborate towards an equal and sustainable future for all. Members of Common Goal pledge a minimum of 1% of all revenues to progress in these goals. The organization has over 220 professional players and managers and 187 community organizations.

M.A.D. TRAVEL KIT: Make A Difference (M.A.D.) Travel Kits was created by Barnes as a continuation of her sustainability efforts in the NWSL. All kits are exclusively stocked by companies that have a proven track record of sustainable production and aim to promote the use of responsibly-sourced goods. During the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup, Barnes extensively tracked her own carbon footprint in the league’s “bubble” and developed the idea for a way to spread sustainable practices throughout the league as a whole. These travel kits were put together to achieve the goal of making sustainable practice more accessible to the average athlete.

OCEAN RECOVERY GROUP: Ocean Recovery Group (ORG) is working to solve the planet’s ocean-bound-plastic crisis in the Western Hemisphere. This past offseason, Barnes traveled overseas to the Dominican Republic to recover plastics for the global supply chain. On this trip in December 2022, the group, which included the Players for the Planet organization and 175 volunteers, collected over 2.5 tons of marine debris from Playa Montesinos and Fuerto San Gil.

PLAYERS FOR THE PLANET: Barnes is also an ambassador for the nonprofit organization Players for the Planet, focusing on the importance of reuse and repurpose. The organization is filled with professional athletes who are striving to make a difference by eliminating plastic, creating recycling initiatives and prioritizing conservation efforts.

PLAY FOR TREES: Play For Trees is another organization that Barnes works with, which involves professional athletes planting trees every time they make plays. To date, the organization has planted over 130,000 trees. For every clean sheet Seattle Reign FC has, Barnes is planting 20 trees throughout the Pacific Northwest.