June 26, 2024 – USL Super League (USLSL)
Spokane Zephyr FC News Release
Forward Riley Tanner, a veteran of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup and the NWSL, is the latest player signed to Spokane Zephyr FC for the club’s inaugural season.
The Caledonia, Michigan, native played for the Washington Spirit this past season after being selected by the team with the 30th overall pick in the 2023 NWSL Draft.
Tanner, 24, played in two 2023 UKG NWSL Challenge Cup matches for the Spirit. She made her NWSL debut on May 10 against Orlando, where she recorded an assist, and earned her first-ever NWSL start on June 14 against North Carolina.
On the international stage, Tanner, whose mother is from Panama, has 14 caps with the Panama Women’s National Team. She scored a goal in a playoff match against Papua New Guinea to help Panama qualify for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup last summer in Australia. She made three appearances for Panama in the tournament, and returned to the squad in 2024 for three appearances during the Concacaf W Gold Cup.
Tanner was a standout in college, playing three seasons at University of South Carolina. After her career there was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, she transferred to the University of Alabama for her senior and post-grad seasons. As a senior in 2022, she earned Second Team All-SEC honors after tallying five goals and eight assists while leading the Crimson Tide to a 23-3-1 overall record and into the semifinals of the NCAA Women’s College Cup.
Those eight assists during the 2022 season put her fourth all time in the Crimson Tide record book. She also left a mark on the South Carolina program, tied for second with NCAA Tournament goals in a career (3), fifth in career shot percentage (22.6%), sixth in single season shot percentage, and tied for fifth with most career points in the NCAA Tournament. She also became the first Gamecock to score goals in three straight NCAA Tournament matches.
The decision to join Zephyr came easy for Tanner, who expressed interest in the team’s identity and mission.
“After talking with the staff at Spokane, I loved the vision for the team and the culture they are building to help us be successful both on and off the field,” Tanner said. “That environment was something that I wanted to be a part of.”
With the USL Super League ranking atop the country’s soccer pyramid, Tanner said she is thrilled for the opportunity to compete against the best and help grow the women’s game in the United States.
“I…
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