This year’s OL Reign team was different from the ones that won NWSL Shields in 2014 and 2015. The two prior seasons where the Reign won, they did so in absolutely dominant fashion. In 2014 they sat top of the table for the entire season, winning their opening game over Boston 3-0 and never looking back as they won the Shield by 13 points.
In 2015 they started slightly cooler with some early losses and draws, slipping as far as 5th place after their sixth game before finding their form and quickly sprinting up the standings.