A New Perspective — Morgan Weaver reflects on a 2025 season from the sidelines

Earlier this month I got the opportunity to do a sit down interview with Morgan Weaver where we discussed her injury and the rehabilitation process, her experience with this year's unique team culture, and how she views her future with this organization in the years to come.

You can find a very candid transcription of our conversation below.
Ed. note: Only minor edits have been made for clarity and redundancy.

Emma: So, you suffer an injury to your meniscus that required its first surgery in May of 2024, then you re-injure that same knee in January of 2025, and have to go through the process again.

For the people out there who are unfamiliar with knee injuries and what you’ve been through, can you explain the last 16 months from your perspective, and why it was necessary for you to take the time this season to fully rehab and recover?

Morgan Weaver: Starting with last year, I had a really crazy tear in my knee, in my meniscus. It was really annoying if I’m being honest, so rehabbing that was a lot, and I don’t think I was ever 100% after the surgery in my own opinion. I felt like I could play soccer, and I felt like I could do everything that was normal, but just not 100%.

So, in the offseason I was doing physical therapy 1-2 times a week with our PT because I wanted to make sure everything was good for the next year. Then I went to National Team Camp and it was great, I was doing really well, and then I went to the first day of our training and I don’t know what happened – I was just like I can’t run.

During warm ups I just didn’t feel right, and I was like something’s wrong. We were halfway through practice and we were playing and I couldn't even run anymore. I just walked off the field and walked to our trainers Kelly and Ella and was like something’s wrong with my knee, and it was super swollen. I was just like what is going on, something is wrong. So, we went and got an MRI and it said it was torn again.

So, I had 2 surgeries this year to try and figure out what we could do. I met our doctor, Dr. Mandelbaum down in LA – he’s amazing and he basically, let’s hope, fixed me up.

I feel a lot more confident now in these 6 months than I did last year in those 5 months coming back, so I’m really happy with the progress we’ve made. Obviously it’s slow, very slow. It’s just the same thing every day, you’re not really able to do new things every day (like if I was playing). I do one thing for a week then maybe we can progress a little bit, alright let’s progress some more – it just takes forever. I am really happy with how we’re taking it though, and I think the doctor in LA (Mandelbaum) has been very helpful. We’re making sure he’s okay with everything we’re doing, we have so much communication with his team and our team so I feel very confident and happy with where I’m at right now. 

I feel like a new person now, and understanding injury is really hard. I feel like meniscus’ are just such a slow process in general. ACL's I feel are very straightforward, but meniscus you have all these other loops and hoops.

E: That’s essentially why I asked this question, because this year with women’s sports in general and the ACL epidemic, with your story it’s like ‘what’s wrong with Morgan?' It’s not your ACL and it's different so I want everyone to have a clear picture of what is going on.

And with that being said, at this point in your recovery process what does your day-to-day look like?

MW: Right now it’s a little bit different just because now I am able to do more. Beforehand it was literally go to PT (physical therapy), sit there, and just do nothing. Not do nothing, but I would literally just sit and do my exercise – I couldn’t walk so I was always on crutches. Then it progressed a little bit, 'now we can walk, now we’re walking over a hurdle, let’s relearn how to walk.' Now 3x a week I’m running on the alter-g treadmill.

This week so far, so Monday I did the alter-G and that was kind of my day. And then Tuesday it was wake up, go to PT at Nike since that's where training was, and I’m just with Kate most of the time 1-on-1, lifting, learning how to do jumps, little jumps, single leg jumps, double hop and that’s really kind of it. Once I’m done with that I’ll either have a lift for my upper body or I’ll have an ESD - so either a bike, swimming, or elliptical, and then I’ll go get lunch and come home and take my dogs for a walk.

E: What do you do when the team’s gone? This weekend for example, what are you going to do when they’re gone? 

MW: I think it’s different because all of us that are injured, I would say Marie (Muller) and Nicole (Payne) are a little different than Caiya (Hanks) and Julie (Dufour) and I right now, but you know they’re out on the field training at times so they’re with the team more than the rest of us. So we’re just kind of on our own schedules. Which is kind of annoying, and it’s really hard because you’re just kind of by yourself.

I mean we have Kate (Hayes), and Kate is the best PT in the whole entire world. Thankfully we have her and she’s great spirits, great person, great human, sometimes she’ll bring her dog in for us like today she brought Mack – it’s like a therapy dog for us and it makes us all so excited because he’s great.

But when the team’s gone, like last week when they were gone, I had Marie and Nicole over for dinner and we just watched a game. So at least we have each other because I think if we didn’t have each other it would be a nightmare. There has been times where Caiya and I have been working out together, when we’ve just done PT at the same time, so we’ll be with each other screaming at each other in the weight room like 'let’s go!' I also think that really helps because if you don’t have that it’s kind of lonely – especially compared to last year, last year was really lonely.

E: The mental toll of injury – like you said you’re used to always leveling up, and pushing yourself, but right now your training and routine is so controlled and and you have so little control over that. Just that taking its toll, it being completely out of your hands, alongside the isolation part of it must be so difficult. But like you said, having people by your side, going through something similar helps.

At the same time, you were one of the first ones to suffer this injury and there have been so many women on the Thorns team this year who have suffered similar injuries, SEI’s to the knee. What has your message been to them, especially having been through this process, when you see this happen? And how have you been able to be there for them? 

MW: This sounds crazy, but every time there’s another injury I’m just like ‘hey if you need anything reach out to me I’ve been through this process and I know how it feels’ because honestly there’s been times where if I’m being 100% honest I don’t feel apart of this team – I just don’t – and for me I don’t want them to feel that.

Yeah I have my own life outside of the soccer aspect of it – I have my boyfriend and I have my dogs, my parents are only 2 hours away. I have the support I need here, but sometimes I don’t want that – I want everyone else's support too. So it’s been nice, I mean obviously I hate that we’re all injured together, but it is nice that we are together at the same time because we are able to support each other and have each other’s backs.

So, if we’re not feeling a part of the group because 1. they’re traveling or 2. we don’t have session at the same time, we have each other. I would go stir crazy if I didn’t have Caiya, Nicole, Marie and now Julie. I am glad, but so sad, that they’re here in the same situation.

I also feel like Marie, Nicole and Caiya, in the beginning it was the four of us and we all have gotten very close, and now we’re adding Julie into it as well.

E: It’s kind of a blessing in disguise because who knows if you would have gotten as close with them had you not been injured at the same time – like who knows if that was the person or people on the team you would’ve gravitated towards, but having been through this together that’s the person you have created this bond with. 

MW: Yeah! I also feel like when there’s a problem in any aspect of our knees, could be treatment time, anything, I feel like we’re very vocal to each other about how we’re feeling, so I think that’s the best part. It’s like ‘oh I’m a little nervous to do this,’ and someone will be like ‘oh I was a little nervous too, but I just did it and felt really confident so I think you’ll be fine.'

It sucks that we have to say it, but it’s so nice that we have each other when sometimes it’s hard to be a part of a club when they’re always gone, or they’re doing something at a different time.

E: Some of the best memories too are made at a practice, or at training, or when you’re lifting weights with them – so it almost feels like you’re missing out on a chunk of the bonding. 

MW: Yes, exactly – I miss it so much! Also having my own outside life, like I also coach Thorns Academy so I don’t have a lot of availability, and so sometimes it’s like I’m missing all of it.

E: I’m glad you've brought this up because another reason why I wanted to talk to you is because of the inside-out perspective you have of the Thorns.

If we look at the innermost circle there's the team – who’s competing side by side all the time. You zoom out a little bit and you have the girls who are injured and are on the sidelines, but again aren’t there all the time and aren’t apart of everything necessarily – so you have a different perspective than the girls who are in it all the time. Then there’s the media, the fans, and everybody else who is completely outside looking in.

So my question is – what have you seen from this team this year in terms of the adversity you all have faced, and now not only being in a position to make the playoffs, but to also host a home playoff game.

MW: I just feel like there’s people on this team that aren’t a leader, but they actually show leadership in the locker room. I would say Reyna (Reyes) is a huge example, and she’s also somebody who won’t say anything unless needed to be said. You’re going to see Reyna run down the line as hard as she can, you’re going to see Reyna go into a tackle no matter what, and that for me is exciting and that’s leadership right there.

I also feel like M.A. (Vignola) coming into this team and in her first game doing freaking amazing, that’s a leader for me as well on the field. There’s so much she can do off the field, but on the field is somebody that’s going into tackles, not being afraid to get down and dirty, going to make the runs no matter what, even if she's not getting the ball.

They’re not going to look at their teammates all mad, they’re not going to throw their hands in the air, and you know these things happen – people are going to get upset, it’s life, it’s soccer, someone’s going to get somethin’, someone’s going to be a little sassy every once in a while, but I feel like the team on the field, I don’t see that. 

Not everything is bright colored here, we’ve had injuries, we’ve had so much going on. For me watching those players on the field, that’s a leader to me because they’re doing everything that a Thorn is. They’re getting down, they’re doing the hard work, they’re doing the dirty work, it might not be pretty, but they’re getting it done and that’s what being a Thorn is at times – when no one’s watching you’re doing the dirty work and that’s what this group has been doing.

We haven’t been the prettiest at soccer at all this year, and we know. But, we’re coming out with wins, we’re doing the right things and I think one thing is that sometimes you just have to say ‘you know what eff it, it’s on us.’ Us as players we’re taking over and it’s really exciting to see.'

E: I think we’ve seen that so many times this season. Our Stumptown Footy group talks about it all the time, you guys just somehow get it done. You know what needs to be done, and you get it done every time and there’s no doubt that you’re going to fight and claw for every inch of a result.    

You’ve faced adversity this season, but everyone knows that you’re going to be back and that you’re going to be back in Portland. Last year you signed a contract extension that is going to keep you here through the 2028 season. Recently we’ve begun to see a team being built around you and we’ve seen more extensions with who is going to be here during that time. Obviously Reyna’s massive extension, JP (Jayden Perry) and Reilyn (Turner) also being extended through 2028, M.A. who everyone is stoked based on how well she came in and fit in seamlessly with this group.

Now that this team is slowly taking shape, what are your thoughts about that, and what do you see for yourself in the coming years as a Thorn, and for the team as a whole?

MW: Well, one, it’s really exciting. Reyna resigning is huge, especially with the way she’s performing this year – JP too, M.A., Caiya who’s on a longer contract now too. I’m really excited to not only get back on the field, but to have an option to play with these players. I think that they have the grind, they have everything that we want here. Obviously that’s kudos to Jeff and Rob for bringing these players in and making sure that they’re a good fit, but that it’s not just a fit on the field but that it’s a fit off the field.

I think we talk about ‘oh we’re so close,’ but it is the truth. If we don’t have cool players off the field, then how are you going to have a good team? I think that’s not just us, I always see Kansas – their team posting things that they’re doing stuff outside of soccer, and look at where they’re at right now, they’re in first place. I think you don’t just want to find a soccer player, you want to find a good person and obviously we’ve done a great job at doing that and I think we’re going to continue doing that and bringing the right people into this organization is the biggest key.

E: You haven’t even gotten to play with some of them yet have you? 

MW: No, I haven’t played with JP, haven’t played with M.A., haven’t played with Caiya yet, so I’m really excited. I’m really excited for Caiya and I up top. 

E: I have a feeling everybody else is too. 

MW: And you know what – I don’t know what Soph’s doing, but Soph coming back too would be huge and I’d be a little scared if I was other teams. 

I think, also, credit to the players this year. It's been hard and they’re doing all the dirty work. It’s going to be hard, I have to do what I can this offseason training and getting back into everything. I have to work my butt off to be where I want to be and to be on the roster, and to be on the starting roster. We have to do all those little things because as injured players, we’re behind. It’s going to be hard, but I’m excited for that because I love a little bit of pressure and I love a challenge. Sometimes I read comments online, which I know that I shouldn’t, but people are mean and I just want to prove all those people wrong.