The story of the Orlando Pride's special chain

Over the past few months, Orlando Pride celebrations have featured a talismanic object. A chrome chain with a custom purple and blue 3-D cast of the club's logo fixed between the links.

The story of that chain starts in Texas.

"I bet I could get a custom one made"

Shelby Stuart is from Corpus Christi, Texas. She has been supporting the Pride since Marta signed for the club in 2017.

In August 2024, with Orlando top of the NWSL standings and breaking records left, right, and centre, she decided to finally fulfill a nearly decade-long dream to go and watch the team live.

The Pride, then on a 17-match unbeaten run, were readying to take on the Houston Dash, in Houston. A three-and-a-half-hour drive from Corpus Christi.

READ MORE: Are the 2024 Orlando Pride the best title-winners ever?

To make her first-ever Pride match that bit more special, Stuart ordered a custom Orlando Pride chain from a website that predominantly forged them for NFL teams and college football teams.

"I wanted to support them [Orlando] in a big way, being an away fan at that stadium," Stuart told Squad Depth. "I just saw these chains online, and I thought I bet I could get a custom one made to really show my support."

Stuart was a beacon of purple on that day. She wore as much Pride gear as she could at Shell Energy Stadium and topped it off with the newly minted custom chain around her neck.

In a tight back-and-forth match, Orlando eventually prevailed 1-0. Substitute Summer Yates came up big with a goal in the second half. After the match, Yates came over to greet Stuart as a standout Pride fan in the Houston stadium.

"I was talking to her [Yates], and I was like, 'You're the MVP tonight, you kept us going.' And so I handed her the chain," said Stuart.

The handover would go on to start a tradition.

"I was like, whoa! This is awesome," Yates told Squad Depth this week, about the moment she received the chain. "I kind of just took it and thought maybe this could be a cool thing."

Inspired by Miami

That night in Houston, the Pride players and staff celebrated Yates as the people's MVP and that gave equipment manager Vikaya Powell an idea inspired by her alma mater, the University of Miami.

When Manny Diaz was coaching Miami between 2016-2021, he would often award the 'Turnover Chain' to a standout defensive player who had forced a game changing turnover.

"It looked really dope. So I was like, we should use it," Powell told Squad Depth this week.

"I asked the coaches, and they said 'How would you like to use it?' I was just like: 'Whoever put the best foot forward, that one person that stands out. I think that's who the chain really belongs to.'"

Powell has established herself as the keeper of the Pride chain. She has a special bag she keeps it in, and makes sure to pack it to every match with all the other Orlando matchday equipment.

While Powell has also made herself the official anointer of the Pride chain, the person who places it on the neck of the people's MVP, she is not the person who decides the recipient. That responsibility falls on the players.

"After we win a game, they run on the field, then we get in our circle, and then Seb [Hines] does his speech. I ask my teammates, 'Who do you think deserves the chain today?' Then, I just put the chain around somebody's neck, and everybody screams," said Powell.

The chain has evolved to represent more than just the player of the match. It has become a symbol of the compassion the Pride players have for each other's unique accomplishments.

Luana, who was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma this year, adorned the chain after completing treatment. Head coach Seb Hines received the chain after winning the NWSL Shield. Viviana Villacorta was awarded the chain when she made her return from a second ACL tear.

"It's awarded to who we feel has played the best, or not necessarily the best but just like who deserves it the most," Villacorta said. "Someone special, yeah? They gave it to me, and it was, like a big moment for me, because it was my, my first game back after my ACL injury. So it means a lot."

For Emily Sams, she enjoyed being able to shine a light and on Hines, and get the 2024 NWSL Coach of the Year in on the fun.

"We all gave it to Seb [Hines] after we won the shield, right? And so, we got to celebrate him for a little bit. So just something fun and a chance for us to celebrate someone that maybe didn't get to be the star of the match or whatever," said Sams.

Orlando's 2024 is one of the best ever in NWSL history. And the foundation of the team's success has been the supportive team culture and environment that has been fostered by Hines, his staff, and general manager Haley Carter.

The manifestation of the chain is symbolic of the ways these players have linked and bonded this year. The chain is just another way to allow them to shower each other with praise, to be connected.

"Our culture from day one has been amazing. We all love to support each other. I think that's what makes us great, is like we love to show each other love and like that this chain kind of symbolizes it for us." said Yates.

On Saturday, November 23, the Orlando Pride added to their historic 2024 by winning the NWSL Championship at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City. The match ended 1-0 over the Washington Spirit, Barbra Banda scored the winning goal.

As you can imagine, the chain made an appearance. Marta (who else!) was wearing it around her neck while the club lifted the trophy into the air. It was the Brazilian legend's first time winning the trophy after being in the league for eight seasons.

Pride are the first NWSL team to win a Shield-Championship double since the NC Courage in 2019. There is no question they are one of the league's greatest-ever champions.