There’s a reason why sports interviews are so captivating. At times, a moment unfolds that ends up becoming a broadcast masterpiece. Take last month, for example, during the USWNT‘s opening game in the SheBelieves Cup against Colombia—Lynn Biyendolo and Sam Coffey got carried away when they spotted their former teammate Becky Sauerbrunn live on the sidelines, unintentionally interrupting her gig. Interestingly enough, a similar yet unique moment occurred in today’s NWSL game featuring Reilyn Turner, who paused her own interview to take part in the Portland Thorns’ post-game ritual.
Well, before you start judging her, hear out the incident first. Rob Gale’s side were able to hold off Angel City 1-1 at Providence Park. Though the away side broke the deadlock inside 10 minutes, courtesy of Kennedy Fuller, it was Turner who turned things around (pun intended). The forward scored an equalizer for her side in the 30th minute, which apparently was also her first regular season goal.
Of course, the 22-year-old had to be the chosen one to be called up for a post-match interview with Amazon Prime’s crew. A clip was shared by NWSL on their official X account. As one of the interviewer was asking Turner to describe her first goal, the forward started looking towards her teammates and said, “Am I missing my rose? I wanna get my rose.”
Hearing this, both interviewers insisted that Reilyn should go and collect her rose—a special tradition from Thorns supporters which sees them hand over a rose to all the goalscorers of the match. Excited to receive her first-ever flower, Turner dashed toward the other end of the pitch to get her rose from two young girls. Getting her picture clicked, she thanked all the fans for their immense support.
Reilyn Turner was NOT missing her rose pic.twitter.com/umLAmqeE8X
— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) March 22, 2025
At this point, the interviewer’s crew had given the hope that Turner would return for a conversation. But to everyone’s surprise, she handed over the rose to Mallie McKenzie and rushed back to complete her interview. Even the commentators were shocked who kept saying, “Wait a minute! Is she coming back?” before another added, “Oh my god! Legend. Really love this.”
Upon returning, she quickly put her microphone back on and faced the camera, while the commentators and interviewers were still processing her thoughtfulness in picking up right where she left off. In fact, that wasn’t all—she even apologized, saying, “Sorry, I have never gotten a rose before.”
This is one remarkable moment in the history of the NWSL broadcast. In a world where some players or even coaches avoid talking with the media, we reckon even the fans wouldn’t have thought Turner to be so considerate about completing her incomplete tete-a-tete. But now that she did return, what did she say?
Reilyn Turner pours her heart to Portland Thorns supporters
Of course, the interviewers were touched by Reilyn Turner’s gesture. So naturally, their first question to ask her was how she felt after her first ever rose. Interestingly, she responded, “I always wanted a rose. Obviously, playing Providence Park with this amazing atmosphere and amazing fans. It’s a tradition to get a rose if you score a goal and I told myself ‘I wanted a rose, can I have it?’ So couldn’t have missed that.”
Further extending her gratitude to the fans for coming to the stadium to support her and the team, the Lakewood, California native praised the unique environment that the fans had created. “Like I said, this atmosphere is like no other. It’s really a great feeling to score a goal in front of these people,” concluded Turner.
We hope her message resonates with all devoted Portland Thorns fans. And just as the interviewer told Reilyn after her response, “May there be many more roses in your future. Thanks for coming back. We really appreciate it,” we couldn’t agree more!
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