OL Reign’s roster build continued last month with the club announcing the arrival of England goalkeeper Karen Bardsley on loan from Manchester City through June. The loan spell will see her more than likely to get some appearances during the NWSL Challenge Cup and first half of the regular season. Bardsley’s long road to recovery from a hamstring injury sustained at the 2019 FIFA World Cup was only exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which is why she sees this time at OL Reign as an opportunity to return to full form, and to be a part of something big the club is building towards, similar to to when she joined Manchester City seven a half years ago:
The ambition of [OL Reign] was something that really excited me.