By OkayGoal 
Photo copyright Robert Edwards-Imagn Images
Bay FC’s playoff hopes are officially over.
The club was eliminated from postseason contention Sunday after falling 3-1 to the Orlando Pride at PayPal Park, dropping Bay FC to 7-14-5 (26 points) with four regular-season matches remaining.
The result means Bay will not return to the playoffs after making the postseason in its inaugural NWSL campaign in 2024. That year, Bay finished seventh with 34 points and an 11-14-1 record, becoming just the second expansion team in league history to qualify for the playoffs. The club ultimately fell 2-1 to the Washington Spirit in the quarterfinals.
Bay took a step back in 2025, finishing 14th with 20 points (4-14-8). The club has already surpassed that points total in 2026, but the improvement has not been enough to get them back into the postseason picture.
This season also marked the beginning of a new coaching era. Emma Coates took over as Bay FC head coach after Albertin Montoya departed following the 2025 season. Coates joined the club after serving as head coach of England’s Women’s Under-23 team.
Bay made several significant additions to their squad, including Italy captain Cristiana Girelli, Argentina captain Aldana Cometti and 2025 NWSL Best XI midfielder Claire Hutton. The club added another high-profile defender during the summer when it acquired Jenna Nighswonger from Arsenal in August.
But the season was not without significant absences. Defender Alyssa Malonson suffered a torn ACL in preseason and missed the entire campaign, while Abby Dahlkemper, Caprice Dydasco and Emily Menges began the season on maternity leave.
There are still some encouraging pieces for Bay FC to carry into the offseason. In last week’s 2-0 win over Racing Louisville, goalkeeper Jordan Silkowitz became just the sixth goalkeeper in NWSL history to record 100 saves in a single campaign. The victory also gave Bay a club-record seventh clean sheet.
Bay FC will now close out its season with four matches remaining, beginning with a trip to face the Kansas City Current on Oct. 3.
