Assembling a roster from scratch is never easy. Bay FC General Manager Lucy Rushton relied on analytics, a trusted scouting department, and ownership opening up their wallets to assemble a roster to compete in the NWSL from day one.
“My background is in data and analytics,” explained Rushton. “So it’s something that I believe strongly in. That said, it’s how you use data, especially in the scouting process. You always need to come back to your eye, which is why we have a scouting department as well.”
To succeed this season, Bay FC first focused on building its defense core around several NWSL veterans, Emily Menges, Caprice Dydasco, and defensive midfielder Alexis Loera.
Internationals Deyna Castellanos, Asisat Oshoala, and Racheal Kundananji will help round out the midfield and the attack for the team.
Bay FC will start the 2024 season with 26 players on the roster. Thirteen players have NWSL experience, and twenty have professional experience.
NWSL draft picks Savy King, Maya Doms, and Jamie Shepherd will also seek valuable pro game experience under head coach Albertin Montoya. “We’ve got one of the best coaches in the country for developing players,” added Rushton.
Here is a look at Bay FC’s opening-day roster for their first-ever NWSL Campaign, which starts on Sunday, March 17th, against Angel City FC in Los Angeles.
Forwards
Bay FC acquired Zambia international Racheal Kundananji for a record-breaking $788,000 transfer fee from Madrid CFF. This is the highest transfer fee ever paid for a women’s professional soccer player.
In Kundananji’s first season with Madrid in 2022-23, she scored twenty-five goals in twenty-three games.
“Racheal has composure in front of goal and a natural ability to score with different types of finishes and from various locations,” noted Rushton.
In an interview with the Guardian, Kundananji explained that she feels the weight of producing goals for her team due to her record-breaking transfer fee.
“There is so much pressure on me [as a result of the world-record transfer fee], but I just have to calm down, focus on my work and continue playing football,” she said.
Kundananji will likely team up top with Asisat Oshoala, who transferred from the powerhouse Spanish team FC Barcelona Femení. Since 2019, the Nigerian International has scored 107 goals in 149 appearances for Barcelona, won numerous titles, and been named the African Women’s Footballer of the Year six times over her pro career.
“She brings a top-class mentality to the field combined with pace and technical ability that allows her to lead the line while also giving those players around her the license to be creative and thrive in space,” noted Rushton about Oshoala.
To add depth to their forward lineup, they have signed Princess, an up-and-coming prospect from Ghana, NWSL draftee Caroline Conti, and three NWSL veterans: Scarlett Camberos, Rachell Hill, and Tess Boade.
Princess played for Danish club FC Nordsjælland, featuring 22 times last season and scoring two goals. “She has already shown tremendous growth and potential since joining FCN, and we believe that our environment will help continue to foster her skills as a professional,” explained Rushton.
Scarlett Camberos was acquired in a trade with Angel City FC. A creative offensive player, Camberos may feature as an attacking midfielder for the club.
Former North Carolina Courage forward Tess Boade was selected in the NWSL Expansion Draft. Last year, she appeared in twelve matches, eleven of them starts, while scoring one goal and adding two assists. Rachell Hill was also selected in the expansion draft from the San Diego Wave, where she played seventeen games last year.
Caroline Conti was selected in the third round of the NWSL draft. She played college for Clemson, which made it to the College Cup in 2023 while contributing eight goals and four assists.
Midfielders
The club acquired midfielder Deyna Castellanos from Manchester City to orchestrate Bay FC’s attack. After playing for Florida State in college, Castellanos moved to Europe and started her pro career at Athletico Madrid for two years before moving to Manchester.
She will be the highest-paid foreign-born player in the NWSL after signing a reported 1.8 million dollar 4-year contract with Bay FC.
“Deyna is a player you can’t take your eyes off – she is enigmatic, dynamic, and will excite our supporters with her attacking flair and play,” said Rushton. “As an attacking midfielder, she can find her way out of tight spaces and deliver pinpoint passes, break lines with dribbling and passing and has the ability to create and score goals in many different ways, including from set pieces.”
NWSL veteran Dorian Bailey will also be a vital piece of the midfield after playing for the Washington Spirit since being drafted in 2019. “She is a problem solver on the field, who can use her dribbling and combination play to break pressure, break lines, and instigate attacks,” said Rushton.
Joelle Anderson was also acquired via trade from the Houston Dash, where she played thirty times over two seasons. “Joelle has real dynamic ability to drive though with the ball in midfield and turn defense to attack. She brings a tireless work ethic to her game and has a willingness to compete on both sides of the ball,” noted Rushton.
Bay FC’s first-ever signing, Alex Loera, was acquired by trade from the Kansas City Current. Loera was a lynchpin for the Santa Clara Broncos when they won the 2020 NCAA Championship and returned to the College Cup in 2021.
“Alex’s technical ability and passing range makes her the perfect fit for Bay FC’s possessional style of play and epitomizes the tone we want to set for the rest of the team,” said Rushton. “Coupled with her tenacity and strength in defense, Alex has all the tools of a complete modern-day DCM, and we are delighted to be bringing her back to the Bay Area.”
Bay FC drafted Stanford Cardinal Maya Doms in the first round. A first-team all-American in college in 2023, she played in 100 games and scored 33 goals while adding 20 assists.
Jamie Shepherd was picked in the third round. She played over 9,100 minutes for the BYU Cougars and was a second-team NCAA All-American in 2022.
Defense
Bay FC will rely on a trio of experienced veterans, Emily Menges, Caprice Dydasco, and Jen Beattie, to create the foundation for their defensive line.
Centerback Emily Menges is a ten-year NWSL veteran who played with the Portland Thorns her whole career. In 186 league starts, she won the NWSL Championship twice. “She is an accomplished defender with great game understanding,” said Rushton. Her capacity to read the game and play out from the back will be paramount in our style of play.”
Former Scottish International Jen Beattie will most likely partner with Menges in the center defense. She joins Bay FC after a long and distinguished career playing in Europe, featuring in the back line for Arsenal, Manchester City, and Montpellier HSC.
“On the field, Jen has won everywhere she has played in Europe and has been a mainstay at one of the top women’s clubs in the world, helping set the standard for both club and country,” said Rushton. “As a central defender with excellent on-ball ability and range of pass, Jen allows us to play the brand of football we want in building out from the back and controlling the game with ball [control].”
NWSL veteran Kayla Sharples will provide cover in the center defense. She made sixteen appearances for the Chicago Red Stars between 2019 and 2023 and went on loan with Finnish team Kuopion Palloseura in 2020 and Australian club Adelaide United in 2022.
In right back, former NWSL defender of the year Caprice Dydasco will be another essential cog in Bay FC’s backline. In 2021, Dydasco earned the Defender of the Year honors while playing for NY/NJ Gotham FC. She also played for the Washington Spirit and Houston Dash. “A highly technical and intelligent footballer, Caprice’s ability to impact play in the final third and create goalscoring opportunities make her one of the most exciting and productive attacking fullbacks in the league,” explained Rushton.
Defender Savy King was the second pick overall in this year’s NWSL draft. She stood out for North Carolina and is an instrumental player for the US Soccer U-20 Women’s team, which qualified for this year’s U-20 Women’s World Cup. She may start for the club as their left back.
Alyssa Malonson or Kiki Pickett may be the backup wide defenders for the Bay FC defense.
Malonson was picked in the NWSL Expansion draft. She played for North Carolina Courage in 2021 before joining OL Reign. In 2022, she went on loan to Danish side FC Nordsjælland.
Pickett, another Stanford alum, was selected fourth in the NWSL draft in 2021 by KC Current. She played for NC Courage for the last two years. “She offers great variation to her game by being able to play inside off the line or stay wide, and as an attack-minded fullback, is impactful, taking players on and connecting defense to attack,” noted Rushton.
Jordan Brewster joins Bay FC after two successful seasons playing for Kristianstads DFF in Sweden. After playing for West Virginia in college, Brewster went undrafted by the NWSL, which led her to Europe for pro experience. “Her time in Sweden has given her exposure to a style of football that aligns with ours, and we are delighted to be able to add her to the roster where she will continue her development and help us establish our football identity,” said Rushton.
After impressing during the preseason, Bay FC signed camp invitee Maddie Moreau. In college, she played for West Virginia and LSU.
Goalkeepers
Bay FC has a healthy competition for the starting goalkeeper this preseason.
NWSL veteran Katelyn Rowland and Canadian international Lysianne Proulx look to be battling it out for the top spot, especially after ex-Santa Clara Bronco Melissa Lowder suffered a season-ending knee injury.
Lysianne Proulx was transferred to Bay FC from Australian club Melbourne City FC. “Lysianne possesses exceptional athletic attributes and is a great example of a modern goalkeeper,” said Diego Restrepo, Bay FC head of goalkeeping. “Her ability to make crucial saves, read the game, and play out from the back are impressive.”
Acquired in the expansion draft, Katelyn Rowland has won four NWSL titles, playing with the North Carolina Courage, FC Kansas City, and Western New York Flash. She played 18 games during the 2018 season for the Courage, where she was the winning starting keeper in the NWSL Championship game.
Emmie Allen played for the University of North Carolina in college. She was signed after being a trialist for Bay FC in the preseason. She will be the third-choice keeper this season.
NOTES
Bay FC will be hosting fan viewing parties in San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose for their NWSL opening game against Angel City FC on Sunday, March 17, at 4:30 p.m.
- Richmond Republic, 642 Clement St., San Francisco
- Athletic Club Oakland (ACO), 59 Grand Ave., Oakland
- JTown Pizza Co., 625 N 6th St., San Jose
10 Bay FC games this year will be broadcast on regional television on NBC Sports Bay Area or NBC Sports California.
| Date | Opponent | Kickoff (Pacific) | Broadcast |
| Sun., March 17 | @Angel City FC | 4:30 p.m. | NBC Sports Bay Area |
| Sun., April 14 | SEATTLE REIGN FC | 5 p.m. | NBC Sports Bay Area |
| Wed., May 1 | PORTLAND THORNS FC | 7 p.m. | NBC Sports California |
| Sun., May 5 | CHICAGO RED STARS | 5 p.m. | NBC Sports Bay Area |
| Fri., May 17 | SAN DIEGO WAVE FC | 7:30 p.m. | NBC Sports CA Plus |
| Sun., June 9 | @Chicago Red Stars | 1 p.m. | NBC Sports BA Plus |
| Sun., June 16 | UTAH ROYALS FC | 7 p.m. | NBC Sports Bay Area |
| Fri., Aug. 23 | @Utah Royals FC | 6:30 p.m. | NBC Sports BA Plus |
| Fri., Sept. 20 | ORLANDO PRIDE | 7:30 p.m. | NBC Sports BA Plus |
| Sun., Sept. 29 | @Seattle Reign FC | 3 p.m. | NBC Sports BA Plus |
