Seattle Reign FC midfielder Jess Fishlock announced on Tuesday that the 2026 NWSL season, her 14th with the club since the league launched in 2013, will be her last as a professional.
She is one of three remaining active players from the league's inaugural season, alongside Chicago Stars goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher and Angel City FC forward Sydney Leroux, and the only one to play that entire time with one team.
She retires as one of the best players in league history.
Fishlock joked recently that she nearly bailed on the NWSL after playing her first game in an amateur venue outside of Chicago, but head coach Laura Harvey just laughed at her and told her they had training the next day.
"There have definitely been moments where I've been like, no, I can't do this," Fishlock told ESPN in an exclusive interview. "But the truth is that I love the NWSL. I think it is the best league in the world, and it has absolutely driven me to reach a higher level for myself.
"I love going into games and looking at the opposition and going, so-and-so is great, so I need to be at my best. Otherwise, these players are going to kick my ass, because everyone is good."
Fishlock won the 2021 NWSL MVP award and has been named to the NWSL's Best XI on five occasions. She helped the Reign win three NWSL Shields, including in 2014, when Seattle put together one of the most dominant teams in league history and one of the best teams in the world at the time.
"Jess is one of the greatest players to ever play in this league, but what makes her truly special is who she is every single day," Harvey said in a statement.
"She sets the standard with her work ethic, her competitiveness and her love for the game, but it's also her football brain that sets her apart.
"She sees things others don't, and that understanding of the game has been invaluable to this team for so many years. She has carried this club on her shoulders at times and has always done it with pride. Her impact on this team, this city and the sport as a whole is immeasurable."
Fishlock already retired from Welsh international duties last year after nearly 20 years at the international level.
"I was really close to retiring last year," Fishlock said, but she wanted to continue with Seattle for one more year because of the joy she finds within the young group.
She decided to announce her impending retirement now, ahead of a Nov. 1 conclusion to the regular season, so she didn't continue to face the lingering question about her future.
Fishlock, 39, said that she does not feel like she has lost the physical or mental side of her game.
She scored Seattle's first goal of the 2026 season on March 15 in a 2-1 road win over the Orlando Pride.
Over the past two weeks, she has, for the first time, experienced a FIFA international break that didn't involve long-haul flights to play for her country.
"I've got to experience not playing internationally now and getting these little days off and breaks, which has been lovely," Fishlock said. "I think it's just time. It's just time to move on and look forward and look at what's next for me in my life."
What -- and where -- is next for Fishlock is to be determined.
Most of her family is still in Wales and her partner lives in New Jersey. She has made a home in Seattle.
Fishlock has her UEFA A coaching license, and she is currently studying to earn her master's degree in sports leadership.
Fishlock feels confident she will stay involved in women's sports, she said, but she is not yet sure what that will look like.
Fishlock said she believes more women's teams need to build out the top of their staffing pyramids with sporting directors and technical directors if they want to be successful in the long term.
She said the NWSL has made "massive strides" from the early days of players making minimum salaries of $6,000 per season to today, with million-dollar contracts.
She tries to share with young players the reality of those humble days to teach them how much progress the sport has made.
There was that first game in the Chicago suburbs, which she remembers being delayed by youth soccer events, and was also Fishlock's first experience on a multi-line turf field.
Of course, there was the "diabolical" baseball field in Rochester, New York, in 2016, one of the league's most infamous games.
Fishlock said she was just joking with Harvey the other day about that. "Anyone who comes in has a responsibility to know about the league's history. You have to," Fishlock said.
"Same with the national team. You have to know the history of who you are, because it becomes your culture, ultimately."
Now, with the end near, every day brings back a new memory, Fishlock said.
She still has the entire 2026 season ahead to help Seattle win an elusive first NWSL Championship. With or without it, Fishlock said she is at peace:
"I really lean into the journey of things rather than focus on the outcome, because without it, you'll never get to the outcome anyway."