Seattle Reign sign two U-18 players to long-term contracts

Seattle Reign FC announced on Friday that it has signed two U-18 players, Jordyn Bugg and Ainsley McCammon, to long-term contracts. Bugg is signed through 2026, with a one-year option that will be triggered in her first appearance with the club, and McCammon is signed through 2028.

Both players trained with the Reign in June ahead of the ECNL National Playoffs in Seattle. Since neither was previously under contract with another team, they will be available for selection in the Reign's match tonight against the Utah Royals in the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup.

Bugg, 17, hails from El Cajon, California, and has spent the last few years training with the San Diego Wave while also playing for the San Diego Surf in the ECNL, which just won the 2024 ECNL National Championship. In April, she announced that she'd be playing at Florida State in the fall, but like many youth players at her level, she opted to turn professional instead.

Bugg primarily plays centerback and has been a consistent contributor to various U.S. youth national teams. She joined Emeri Adames and several other NWSL players last week for two U-20 youth national team games against Mexico. She also scored on Adames' assist in June in a U-20 match against South Korea.

"Jordyn is a bright young talent whose ability at central defense is already at a very mature level where we feel she'll be able to develop rapidly in our environment,” said Reign general manager Lesle Gallimore in a team release. “She is athletic, technically clean and has a good football IQ. Most importantly, Jordyn is humble and carries a quiet confidence about her that tells me she has a growth mindset, a strong work ethic and a level of respect for our veterans that lends itself to success as a professional. I can't wait to watch her grow into the leader we know she can be and to support our constant quest to bring trophies to our club and fans."

In 2023, Bugg was the only player to start all five matches with Adames and the U-19 U.S. team that earned bronze at the 2023 Pan American Games. In 2022, Bugg played in three out of the four matches at the U-17 World Cup, including a start in the second group stage match against Brazil.

At 16 years and 335 days, McCammon is the youngest signing in club history and the seventh youngest player to sign a contract in the NWSL. She played for Solar SC in Texas, the same ECNL club that Adames came from. NWSL players Jaedyn Shaw and Kennedy Fuller also played for Solar SC. McCammon—primarily a deeper central midfielder—helped lead her Solar SC 2007 squad to an ECNL National Championship last season and was named an ECNL Girls All-American. She's proven to be a great conductor in the middle of the pitch at the youth level.

This February, McCammon served as captain of the U.S. U-17 Women’s Youth National Team, which captured the Concacaf U-17 Championship title. Just last week, she calmly converted a penalty kick in a 3-1 win against Brazil's U-17 squad.

While McCammon had verbally committed to Virginia, she announced in April that she had signed with Nike, putting her on a path to professional soccer.

"We've not made the decision to sign the youngest player in club history lightly. Ainsley carries herself in a way that exudes a readiness for the professional environment,” said Gallimore. “She is well-spoken and shows a keen awareness of where she is in her development as well as a solid understanding of what it will take to develop into a great professional. Her technical ability, her vision, and understanding of the game in all moments is very good and bodes well for her future here. I am thrilled to watch her put the work in to reach her personal goals and help our club win championships."

“Both of these players have tremendous potential and we are excited to have them be a part of our story and the club’s long-term plans,” said head coach Laura Harvey. “Ainsley and Jordyn have international experience and a level of professionalism that aligns with our club. We’re excited to add their quality to this squad and the future of the Reign.”

The Reign are down two players right now—Jordyn Huitema and Quinn—due to the Olympics. When both players return, the club will have to do some roster maneuvering. The Reign currently have a full squad of 26 players, with Bugg and McCammon bringing that to 28.

Ride of the Valkyries sources also indicated that the club is still planning to sign Haitian forward Nérilia Mondésir, as previously reported in June. However, due to the NWSL's transfer window, she wouldn't be available until August 1.

One player who won't factor into the Reign's future plans is Luany. Sources have confirmed that the Reign will permanently transfer Luany to Atlético Madrid, with specifics to be announced in the near future. The transfer fee coming to the Reign is unknown at this time. Atletico is going through an overhaul and recently signed Victor Martin as their head coach. Martin led Madrid CFF last season, where Luany featured on loan from Reign FC – scoring six goals and assisting on five.