While Thursday’s announcement that the Seattle Sounders and Seattle Reign would share Zulily as a kit sponsor may have been a surface-level partnership, Reign players in attendance were excited about the prospect of a potentially deeper relationship between the organizations.
Shea Groom, recently arrived from Sky Blue FC, said the differences between MLS-affiliated clubs and most independent NWSL teams were easily spotted.
“I’ve been a part of many clubs now,” Groom said. “It’s been interesting to see the discrepancy between an MLS-backed club and then some of these independent clubs. If you take something like Seattle that’s found success in being an independent club and they do it the right way.