After reaching the NWSL Playoffs as an expansion club in 2024, Bay FC finished the 2025 regular season with a record of four wins, eight draws and 14 losses. Although the club encountered some tough luck and less-then-desirable results, the 2025 season marked a chapter of growth for the club and still featured notable performances along the way.
Check out some of the standout statistics and milestones achieved in 2025.
A Balanced Scoring Attack
Ten different Bay FC players scored a goal this season, and nine players had at least one assist. Penelope Hocking led the way with six regular season goals, Alyssa Malonson had a club-high five assists and Racheal Kundananji’s eight combined goals and assists were the most scoring contributions on the club.
NWSL Firsts
Five Bay FC players made their NWSL debuts: Catherine Paulson (Aug. 10), Emmie Allen (June 13), Jordan Silkowitz (March 15), Taylor Huff (March 15), Hannah Bebar (March 22), and Karlie Lema (March 22); and eight players made their first career NWSL starts this season: Paulson (Oct. 17), Allen (June 13), Silkowitz (March 15), Bebar (May 24), Brooklyn Courtnall (Sept. 21), Jordan Brewster (June 7), Lema (March 15), and Huff (March 15).
Some Local Flare
Eight players on the roster had Bay Area ties from their youth or collegiate playing careers, highlighting the club’s focus on local talent and commitment to the region – Abby Dahlkemper, Melissa Lowder, Leah Freeman, Karlie Lema, Kiki Pickett, Joelle Anderson, Sydney Collins, Catherine Paulson.
Showing Out for The Show at Oracle Park
On Aug. 23, Bay FC took over Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, and turned the ballpark into a memorable setting for an NWSL match on a sun-splashed afternoon. The 40,091 fans in attendance set the record for an NWSL match, surpassing the previous record of 35,038 fans at Chicago’s Wrigley Field for Bay FC’s match against Chicago Stars FC on June 8, 2024. The sellout at Oracle Park also represented the highest-attended game in any U.S. professional women’s league, across all sports.
Creating Opportunities
While Bay FC’s 26 goals were the fewest in the league, the club totaled 34.1 “Expected Goals” in 2025, which was seventh most in the league. Expected Goals is an advanced statistic that measures the quality of a scoring chance based on factors like shot distance, angle and defensive pressure, with each shot being assigned a probability between zero and one, indicating how likely it is to be a goal.
The 8.1 differential between expected and actual goals was the largest disparity in the NWSL this season. Given eight draws and nine one-goal losses, that gap between chance creation and conversion was a defining factor in Bay’s record.
National Team Call Ups
Nine players were selected to represent their respective national teams at training camps or international competitions throughout the season – Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria), Racheal Kundananji (Zambia), Sydney Collins (Canada), Taylor Huff (USA), Hannah Bebar (USA), Emmie Allen (USA), Leah Freeman (USA), Jordan Silkowitz (USA), and Karlie Lema (USA).
A Dynamic Force
Forward Racheal Kundananji contributed to eight scores this season — four goals and four assists. A consistent attacking threat, she led the league with 59 shots and finished fifth in shots on target. Kundananji became Bay FC’s all-time leading scorer on Sept. 21 against Gotham FC and continued her prolific form internationally as a goal-scoring machine for Zambia, netting nine goals for her national squad.
Leading the Way
Forward Penelope Hocking finished the season with a team-high and career-best six regular season goals, just one shy of the club record set by Asisat Oshoala in 2024. Including the two summer friendlies in which she tallied a score, Hocking had a midseason scoring binge of seven goals in a stretch of nine games before a stress injury to her left foot caused her to miss over a month of the season.
Quite A First Impression
Midfielder Taylor Huff was among the NWSL’s standout rookies, leading all first-year players in minutes played (2,230) and ranking 12th overall in the league. One of only two rookies to start every match, Huff tallied four goals — tied for second on the team — while starting 24 of 26 matches. She also led all rookies in chances created (30), duels won (116), recoveries (116), and expected goals (5.02), and earned NWSL Rookie of the Month honors for October/November.
A Model of Consistency
Playing every second of every match this season, veteran Caprice Dydasco became Bay FC’s first-ever ironwoman in 2025. The club’s leader with 888 completed passes this season, Dydasco has proven to be a backline cornerstone for Bay FC and was named to the NSWL’s Best XI of the Month in both June and September. She was the team’s first-ever free agent signing and holds the 2-year-old franchise’s records for most games played (54), starts (50) and minutes played (4,538) across all competitions. For her 11-year NWSL career, Dydasco is one of just 15 NWSL players to ever surpass 15,000 career minutes.
Backline Playmaker
Defender Alyssa Malonson was among the league’s best in creating opportunities for her teammates. Her five assists marked a new record for the club and were tied for third in the NWSL this season, just one behind the league-lead. In addition, she also led Bay with 34 tackles and 73 interceptions, the second-highest total in the NWSL.
Making a Name for Herself
After not seeing the pitch with Kansas City over her first two seasons, Jordan Silkowitz won the job as Bay FC’s primary goalkeeper in 2025, and she made an immediate impact with four clean sheets and 74 saves on the season. She earned NWSL Save of the Week honors three times (Weeks 4, 19 and 20) and was nominated a league-leading 12 times. Silkowitz also stood tall from the spot, making two penalty saves — second-most in the NWSL.
Instant Impact
A Bay Area native and former Cal standout, Karlie Lema made her professional debut this season and wasted little time making an impression, scoring in just her second match. The 2024 ACC Offensive Player of the Year appeared in 26 matches (15 starts), finishing with two goals and one assist.
Perfection from the Penalty Spot
Midfielder Caroline Conti was a perfect 3-for-3 on penalty kicks this season, tying for the second-most made penalties in the league.
A Shot to Remember
Midfielder Kiki Pickett provided one of Bay FC’s most memorable moments of the season, netting the match-winner against North Carolina that earned her NWSL Goal of the Week honors for Week 5. She finished with two goals, doubling her previous career total entering the season.
Precision at its Finest
Midfielder Joelle Anderson appeared in 20 matches with 15 starts and led Bay FC with an 81% pass accuracy rate (among players with at least 20 matches). Her 55 accurate long balls were the most on the team among non-goalkeepers.
Career-Defining Moment
Playing in front of the largest crowd in NWSL history, defender Kelli Hubly scored her third-career goal – and first with Bay FC – at Oracle Park on Aug. 23. Hubly headed in the goal off an Alyssa Malonson corner kick, one of three Bay FC goals scored on set pieces this season.
With the 2025 season in the books for NWSL, the club turns the page with aspirational goals in store for 2026 and beyond.
