NWSL Announces Expansion Club Coming to Bay Area in 2024

Top-level women’s professional soccer is back in the Bay Area.

The National Women’s Soccer League announced Tuesday morning that its 14th team will begin play in 2024 in Northern California, according to a league release. Former United States internationals Brandi Chastain, Leslie Osborne, Danielle Slaton and Aly Wagner will serve on the club’s board.

“As lifelong residents of the Bay Area, we know how important women’s soccer is to our region and we are going to work hard every day to ensure that this is a club that every player, supporter, and partner will be proud of,” Wagner said in a statement. “We can’t wait to get started.”

The Bay Area has hosted two teams at the highest level of women’s soccer previously. The San Jose CyberRays of the Women’s United Soccer Association, for which Chastain played, called Spartan Stadium home from 2001 to ’03. FC Gold Pride played in Women’s Professional Soccer from 2009 to ’10 in Hayward, Calif..

In March 2023, the NWSL announced a 13th team in Salt Lake City, a reorganization of the Utah Royals franchise that existed from 2018 to ’20.