The closer the kin, the deeper the sin—and who are we to deny it, right Becky Sauerbrunn? The retired defender, who has enjoyed a stellar soccer career, must often look back fondly on her moments on the pitch, especially those shared with close teammates. One of them is, of course, Sam Mewis, with whom she still shares a strong bond, even co-hosting a weekly podcast together called The Women’s Game. But sometimes, life throws a curveball—and who would’ve thought that Sauerbrunn would be betrayed by someone she holds so dear, all over a simple, thoughtful gift from Seattle Reign?

Last week, former USWNT midfielder and Editor-in-chief of podcast Sam Mewis brought a very special episode for her listeners. A live show was hosted in the heart of Seattle ahead of the occasion of the city’s crucial Cascadia rivalry against Portland Thorns. Sharing the panel alongside the former midfielder was Sauerbrunn as well as Seattle Reign star Lynn Biyendolo. As the segment moved forward, Biyendolo’s head coach Laura Harvey also invited for a brief chat.

Interestingly, the Reign manager had brought a gift for Mewis—yes, you guessed it right, a jersey from his team. Meanwhile, Sauerbrunn, who was cheering for her former side, showed up with a Thorns scarf that even had her name on it. When both gifts were presented on stage, Mewis didn’t wear either at the time. But fast forward to after the match—which saw Reign edge out the Thorns in a 1-0 win at home—things took an unexpected turn.

A couple of days ago, Mewis invited Biyendolo for a fresh virtual episode. Curiously, Lynn asked if she had worn Becky’s scarf, to which Mewis casually replied, “No.” That alone stung, but before the Reign forward could celebrate, Mewis dropped a shocker. Despite calling Becky an “angel” over being gifted a scarf, she made one of the most heartbreaking admissions for the veteran defender, saying: “I was also gifted a Seattle Reign jersey and I wore that… I feel like it was the right choice.”

Even Biyendolo came to Mewis’ support, well, not because she was supportive of her team, but for a valid reason—at least we think so. “It might have been a little bit different if Becky was playing but when she’s not playing like you can’t possibly wear that,” remarked the former Williams.

It was almost as if Lynn struck a chord as Mewis quickly responded, “Precisely, you said it, not me,” before further adding, “The game was really great and I was happy to see Seattle win,” concluding that hosting a live episode really brought a good luck for the Reign.

Ouch. That must have hurt, Becky, didn’t it? Honestly, we aren’t surprised. As much as Biyendolo was unbiased throughout that live episode, the following segment alone with Lynn saw the ex-NWSL star pour her heart out against the Thorns.

In fact, wait; this wasn’t the only heartbreaking thing that the 39-year-old must have heard!

Tough spot for Becky Sauerbrunn to be in

Laura Harvey took over as head coach of the Utah Royals in 2018, which happened to be the same year Becky Sauerbrunn joined the team. However, their time together was relatively short-lived, as the center-back left the club a year before Harvey’s own departure. After leaving Utah, Sauerbrunn signed with the Portland Thorns, aiming to be closer to home—a move that admittedly left Harvey feeling a bit heartbroken.

Those feelings resurfaced again recently when Harvey opened up during a podcast appearance. Mid-conversation, she turned to the audience and said, “When she signed for the Thorns I was like, ‘You playing in a Thorns jersey makes me feel sick.’ Anytime, when I saw her in it, I used to text her something along those lines.”

Is this the reason why Sam Mewis decided to wear the Seattle Reign shirt? Talk about sprinkling salt on the wound!