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OL Reign is getting a big boost to its defense ahead of the NWSL Challenge Cup. Meg Linehan of The Athletic is reporting that U.S. national team center back Alana Cook will be loaned to the Reign from Paris Saint-Germain.
Expect a new loan for @OLReign for the #NWSL Challenge Cup.
— Meg Linehan (@itsmeglinehan) June 15, 2020
Defender Alana Cook is heading over from PSG to play for the Reign for the tournament, according to a source with knowledge of the deal.
France’s Division 1 Feminine was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and the new season is not expected to start until September. PSG is still alive in the UEFA Women’s Champions League, which is expected to resume in late August, after the NWSL Challenge Cup concludes.
Cook starred at Stanford before declining to enter the 2019 NWSL Draft, opting to head overseas instead. She signed a three-year deal with PSG, and has impressed in limited appearances with the team.
It’s not clear if PSG just wants to take this opportunity for Cook to regain fitness or if the club is putting her in the shop window in the hopes of fetching a transfer fee from an NWSL club before her contract expires. But in either case, the Challenge Cup is a good opportunity for Cook to get more time in front of USWNT GM Kate Markgraf and head coach Vlatko Andonovski as she fights for a spot on the national team.
Cook has appeared for the USWNT once, in a friendly against Costa Rica, but is also eligible to play for England. She has attended one training camp with the Three Lionesses.
OL Reign was thin at center back even before trading Megan Oyster, and will probably expect Cook to become first choice immediately.
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