Within the high-stakes landscape of the National Women’s Soccer League, the second season for any expansion club presents a series of hurdles that test a team’s resilience. Throughout the 2025 regular season matches, Bay FC faced significant challenges throughout the season. The club ultimately fell short of the NWSL Playoffs with 20 points on four wins, 14 losses and eight draws.
Yet, amid the expected growing pains, the club produced a model of consistency in defender Caprice Dydasco. She not only sealed her place in club history but simultaneously raised the standard for defenders across the league.
Dydasco officially earned Ironwoman Status by playing every minute of every match in the 2025 season. This makes her the first player in Bay FC history and the 46th player in the league to reach the difficult milestone. She also holds the club’s record for Games Played (54), Game Started (50) and Minutes Played (4,538) across all competitions.
Bay FC’s defense underwent significant transformation this season. Dydasco began the year with veteran players Abby Dahlkemper and Emily Menges who joined her in the backline. However, both went on maternity leave during the campaign and left a void in experience that Dydasco stepped up to fill.
“You go from last season playing with your best friend, (Dahlkemper), and with Emily Menges who have so much experience, to needing to be that leader and consistency and that go-to person for players who maybe have not played a lot of minutes in this league,” Dydasco explained.
Bay FC made defensive shifts to mitigate the changes in the backline by integrating new and young talent. This included Sydney Collins, a young defender whose NWSL playing time was severely limited by a serious injury that extended into 2025, and Brooklynn Courtnall, a rookie acquired on loan who had only made a handful of appearances for the North Carolina Courage. To further address the backline needs, Bay FC even utilized regular midfielder Joelle Anderson in the defense.
Dydasco noted that during these shifts, she led by example: “I hope that players see the way I handle myself off the field and in training as something that can motivate them.”
Despite the “up and down” nature of Bay FC’s campaign, Dydasco’s consistency at the highest level never faltered and it culminated in her becoming a backline essential for every second of game action this season.
“Being consistent is the hardest thing to do in this league. I just wanted to be consistent for myself and for my teammates—on and off the field,” Dydasco said. “So, it’s such a huge accomplishment. I still treat every season like it’s my first, still learning and growing and wanting to get better.”
The Ironwoman status is just one piece of Dydasco’s incredible season. Her defensive efforts earned her a spot on the NWSL Best XI of the Month in both June and September.
In June, she was the league’s best defender in one-on-one situations, ranking first among all players with 11 interceptions, and first among defenders in duels won (26) and tackles won (8). In September, her high-level of play continued and she finished the month in the top five among defenders in duels won (22), recoveries (22) and clearances (31).
Dydasco has garnered extensive professional women’s soccer experience. She started her NWSL career with the Washington Spirit in 2015 and then moved to Gotham FC before joining Bay FC as the club’s first-ever free agent signing in November 2023. She remains incredibly humble and motivated in her 11th year in the league.
“I feel very grateful. I didn’t think I’d ever be playing for 11 years. But I couldn’t have done it without my family and my teammates. I just feel very grateful that I’m able to play the sport that I love,” she said of her longevity.
Though Bay FC’s season results may not have met their expectations, Dydasco sees the tough year as essential preparation for the next. She also attributes the team’s positive culture and refusal to give up as the key takeaway.
“We learn from this; we move on, and we focus on the next season,” Dydasco concluded. “The great thing about this team is that we are such a good group, we could have just given up, but every day, everyone came in so positive and motivated, and excited to get better. We still train every day like we are the first-place club in the league. I think that will pay off for next season, and we’ll be in a great spot for preseason.”
