• Loading stock data...
Thursday, June 26, 2025

Bay FC GM Abruptly Departs Halfway Through Team’s First Season

  • Lucy Rushton has been the NWSL expansion team’s general manager since June 2023.
  • The new club is 5–9 in its first season and ranks 11th out of 14 teams.
Robert Edwards-USA TODAY Sports

Bay FC, the NWSL’s newest expansion team, announced Monday night that its general manager, Lucy Rushton, is leaving the club.

After building a career at franchises in the Premier League and MLS—including as the latter’s first female GM in more than two decades for D.C. United—Bay FC hired Rushton as the California club’s first GM in June 2023.

“Being a part of building a new club in the sport I love is something that I will forever be grateful for,” Rushton said in a statement in the team’s announcement. “This has been one of the hardest decisions of my life, but I believe the right one for me right now. I am excited for and look forward to my next chapter.”

Bay FC’s social media post also hinted at an upcoming career change for Rushton, writing: “We wish her all the best in her future endeavors.”

The club broke the women’s soccer transfer world record in February when it paid a fee of nearly $790,000, with the potential for $75,000 more based on performance, for Zambian forward Racheal Kundananji. Rushton built out the largely international roster with other decorated players like forwards Asisat Oshoala from Nigeria and Deyna Castellanos from Venezuela. Rushton also brought in Albertin Montoya, who has a long history of coaching in the Bay Area, as the team’s head coach.

Despite the flashy hires, Bay FC has yet to find consistent success in the NWSL, where the team has a record of 5–9 and sits at 11th in the table.

Rushton’s announcement wasn’t the only major shake-up for California’s NWSL teams on Monday. The San Diego Wave fired head coach Casey Stoney, who has led the club since its first season in 2022 and was named the league’s coach of the year that season. The Wave are 9th in the NWSL standings and have gone seven games without a win.

Bay FC joined the NWSL this season along with the Utah Royals. The investment firm Sixth Street Partners paid the $53 million expansion fee to buy the team in April 2023, becoming the first U.S. professional sports team majority-owned by an institutional investor. The firm has invested at least $72 million on top of the expansion fee for what its CEO, Alan Waxman, has called setting “the standard of what a women’s sports franchise should be.” Former U.S. women’s national team players Brandi Chastain, Leslie Osborne, Danielle Slaton, and Aly Wagner became founding board members of the club through partnerships with Sixth Street.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Sep 16, 2023; Stanford, California, USA; Sacramento State Hornets running back Elijah Tau-Tolliver (25) celebrates after a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium.

Sacramento State ‘Full Steam Ahead’ for FBS Despite Not Receiving NCAA Waiver

The Hornets launched a public campaign to join the FBS last fall.
Jun 20, 2024; Eugene, OR, USA; Detailed view of Nike Alphafly 3 racing flat at the Nike by Eugene store.

Investors Hunt for Signs Nike Has Regained Its Footing

Nike’s fundamentals are “still challenged.”
Wimbledon

Players Suing Tennis Begin Negotiations With Grand Slams

They may add the Slams as defendants if talks fail in 90 days.
May 29, 2025; Dublin, Ohio, USA; The TaylorMade club cover of Tommy Fleetwood is seen during the first round of the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday golf tournament.

Golf Equipment Maker TaylorMade Caught Up in Fight Over Who Owns It

There is a dispute over which Korean entity controls the company.

Featured Today

Mar 15, 2025; Fort Worth, TX, USA; UAB Blazers forward Yaxel Lendeborg (3) dribbles the ball upcourt against the North Texas Mean Green during the first half at Dickies Arena

NIL Is Shrinking the Pool of NBA Draft Entrants

Agents are now advising many players to stay in school.
Apr 24, 2025; Green Bay, WI, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end Abdul Carter on the red carpet before the 2025 NFL Draft at Lambeau Field
June 21, 2025

‘More Is More’: The Elite Luxury Jewelers Decking Out Athletes

Meet the elite group of luxury designers crafting the biggest statement pieces.
Dec 5, 2024; Miami, FL, USA; FIFA president Gianni Infantino presents the FIFA Club World Cup trophy during the Club Word Cup draw at Telemundo Studios.
June 15, 2025

Revamped Club World Cup Is FIFA’s Billion-Dollar Gamble

The revamped soccer event debuts amid controversy.
Jun 10, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino stands during the anthem against the Switzerland during the first at Geodis Park
June 14, 2025

Gold Cup Is Complicated for USMNT—but U.S. Soccer Has Its Eyes on..

Uncertain tournament success isn’t fazing forward-looking U.S. soccer.
breaking

Cooper Flagg Goes No. 1 to Dallas, Capping Mavs’ Rapid Rebuild

The expected selection extends a wild turn of events for Dallas. 
June 24, 2025

How the Celtics Cut $500M Roster Bill Nearly By Half in 1..

Boston is now under the second tax apron for next season.
June 25, 2025

Mavs Reset Takes Shape With Kyrie Locked In, Flagg Incoming

The Mavericks are expected to select Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 pick.
Sponsored

Hottest Matchups Following NFL Schedule Release

The NFL released the 2025 regular-season schedule, and anticipation is already building in the ticket marketplace with four months to go.
exclusive
June 24, 2025

Fever and Bonner Heading for a Breakup? Here’s What We Know

The Fever are exploring options as DeWanna Bonner seeks a fresh start.
Mar 11, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum (3) reacts after a three-point basket against the Los Angeles Clippers during the fourth quarter at Smoothie King Center.
June 24, 2025

Wizards Acquire CJ McCollum to Set Up $100M in 2026 Cap Space

About $110 million will come off the Wizards’ books next year.
Jun 20, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; SL Benfica forward Evangelos Pavlidis (14) in action with Auckland City FC defender Christian Gray (4) during a group stage match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup at Inter&Co Stadium.
June 23, 2025

Day Jobs, Weekly Stipends: Behind the Club World Cup’s Only Amateur Team

“We’ve never been in this for the financial reward.”
June 22, 2025

Pacers Lose Haliburton in NBA Finals—and Possibly for a Season

Haliburton entered the game with a right calf strain he played Game 6 with.