Incoming NWSL expansion team Denver announced more infrastructure news on Thursday, naming the squad's first-ever employee in decorated sports executive Jen Millet, who will serve as club president.
"Jen stood out amongst an extensive list of qualified candidates," said controlling owner Rob Cohen in a club statement. "Jen’s understanding of soccer, building world-class brands, ability to engage the community, and passion for creating a culture of excellence made her the ideal fit to run our club."
Previously, Millet served as the chief operating officer for 2024 expansion team Bay FC, a club she led to the league's top in merchandise sales and top-three in ticketing revenue in the franchise's inaugural season.
The Denver post, in which Millet will lead all of the club's business operations, will return Millet to her hometown as she takes on another NWSL launch.
"People might say I'm crazy to do back-to-back builds," Millet told The Athletic. "But I actually love this kind of work, and so I'm excited to get going."
With a new dedicated stadium and training facility in the works, plus record season ticket sales and, now, NWSL-savvy leadership, Denver looks prepared to hit the ground running as the league's 16th team in 2026.
Bay FC released renderings for the 2024 NWSL expansion team’s first-ever dedicated training facility on Wednesday, with award-winning design firm Olson Kundig overseeing the state-of-the-art complex’s development.
"In order to be a global sports franchise, the team needs its own home and dedicated facility," said Bay FC CEO Brady Stewart in the club's statement. "Tom Kundig and the Olson Kundig team understand our priority of player-centricity and also designed an inspirational and stunning space which reflects a sense of home for our players and staff."
"Olson Kundig are true innovators and are helping us future proof the facility and create something uniquely designed for our athletes that will nurture the whole person and unlock maximum potential."
Bay FC’s training facility, which is expected to open before the 2027 NWSL season, prioritizes a seamless experience for athletes, balancing private and communal spaces with an emphasis on wholistic player care.
Located at the center of the Bay on Treasure Island, a man-made island constructed in 1937, the complex will include three training fields and boasts sweeping views of San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge, North Bay, the Bay Bridge, and East Bay.
Even more, the center will provide resources to support long-term off-pitch success, including career development, education, and business training resources.
"Players commit to training together, building relationships, and working as a team every day," remarked Kundig. "The design acknowledges the complexity of that commitment — to the sport, the team, and the place that supports them both."
Bay FC joins expanding roster of teams with top training centers
As rising professionalization continues to shape women’s sports, top-of-the-line training centers have become a key way for clubs to stand out — even across the West Coast's crowded real estate market.
Bay FC's new 2025 WNBA neighbor Golden State and the NWSL's LA club Angel City have both recently embraced the dedicated facilities trend, while Portland’s 2026 WNBA expansion team announced last month that it will share a new $150 million sports performance complex with the NWSL’s Portland Thorns.
Dedicated facilities are increasingly becoming the status quo in the NWSL and WNBA, and Bay FC’s thoughtful design should be a selling point for top talent for years to come.
The WNBA and NWSL welcomed some new high-profile owners on Monday, as Serena Williams and Sabrina Ionescu announced investments in the country’s leading pro women’s sports leagues.
Tennis icon Williams is purchasing a stake in the Toronto Tempo. There, the 23-time Grand Slam winner will subsequently weigh in on the 2026 WNBA expansion team's visual elements like jersey designs, merchandise deals, and more.
"Serena is a champion," noted Tempo president Teresa Resch. "She’s set the bar for women in sport, business, and the world — and her commitment to using that success to create opportunities for other women is inspiring."
Meanwhile, 2024 WNBA champion and Bay Area product Ionescu also padded her portfolio. Ionescu bought into 2024 NWSL addition Bay FC, where she’ll serve as an official commercial advisor.
"Sabrina is the ultimate innovator and creates new pathways for aspiring and current professional athletes," said team CEO Brady Stewart. "Adding her passion and vision to what we are building at Bay FC will allow us to further disrupt the sports landscape."
Athlete investors lead the way in growing women's sports
Both current and retired athletes are increasingly buying into the business side of women’s sports. The list includes USWNT alums Julie Foudy, Mia Hamm, and Abby Wambach backing Angel City FC and WNBA legend Sue Bird buying into the Seattle Storm and Gotham FC.
Earlier this year, 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark threw her support behind Cincinnati’s recent NWSL expansion bid.
"This moment is not just about basketball," said Williams. "It is about showcasing the true value and potential of female athletes — I have always said that women’s sports are an incredible investment opportunity."
"I whole-heartedly understand how important investment really is and obviously you can talk about it and be about it, but you really have to want to be committed to it and invest to be able to see what you believe in come to light," echoed Ionescu.
Ownership doesn't only keep legends in the game. It also proves that women’s sports are a booming business.
"It hasn't happened overnight for us. It's been years and years for us of athletes kicking down the door, voice what it is that they want to see. It's taken investment, and now expansion," added Ionescu.
"To see it now in real-time — viewership, attendance, sponsorships — everything is at an all-time high."
In partnership with sportswear giant Nike, the NWSL dropped a slate of fresh kit designs on Thursday morning, with sleek collars, understated patterns, centered crests, and other detailing highlighting the league's 2025 jerseys.
After last year's league-wide jersey reset, the NWSL is now entering the second year of its collaboration with Nike, with all 14 teams debuting at least one new jersey this season.
Notably, each matchday jersey will again feature the Ally Financial logo on the left sleeve, as the bank continues its investment in women's soccer as the NWSL's official banking partner.
Along with each club's new kits, the NWSL has also updated its goalkeeper uniforms league-wide, with 2025 keeper jerseys coming in bright green, blue, and yellow colorways.
Additionally, this season's kits for 2024 expansion team Bay FC will feature the club's full branding for the first time. The squad's primary jersey employs a deep navy obsidian base with poppy red accents — colors chosen to represent strength, confidence, and boldness.
"This suite of jerseys, featuring bold designs, vibrant colors and accompanying lifestyle products like the anthem jacket, represent another key step in growing the NWSL’s footprint within the global marketplace," NWSL VP of consumer products Katie Eaton said in the league's press release.
"As we continue to elevate our product offerings, we’re focused on blending sport and lifestyle in ways that authentically connect with players and fans alike."
To that end, the NWSL's online shop includes full customization for the first time ever, allowing fans to feature any of the league's 2025 athletes on their new kits.
Where to buy the new 2025 NWSL jerseys
Alongside Thursday's jersey unveilings, the NWSL concurrently released the refreshed kits and other 2025 merchandise for fans to purchase in advance of the league's season kick-off on March 14th.
All jerseys for the NWSL's 14 clubs are currently available online and at select retailers.
The Portland Thorns inked a multiyear sponsorship deal with home security company Ring this week, marking the most lucrative jersey partnership in NWSL history.
While exact terms were not disclosed, sources confirm that the sum surpasses Bay FC's $2.6 million per-year contract with Sutton Health, as well as Gotham FC's similarly undisclosed Dove sponsorship, reported as a league record last week.
"Working with Ring goes beyond logo placement— it's about deepening our connection with fans and enhancing their experience," said Lisa Bhathal Merage, governor of Portland Thorns and Portland WNBA, in a team release.
"Ring's vision aligns perfectly with our mission to bring fans closer to the team and the game. This collaboration provides unprecedented access and strengthens the bond between our players, fans, and city while continually elevating the fan experience.”
In addition to jersey placement, Amazon-owned Ring will also feature on Portland's cold-weather jackets and media backdrops. Ring also plans to engage in several community initiatives.
Brand partnership deals surge in value across the NWSL
NWSL branding deals are skyrocketing in value, with Gotham FC announcing the a then-record back-of-jersey deal in league history with Dove just last week.
Angel City broke the previous front-of-jersey value record in 2022, as their partnership with DoorDash reportedly brought in over $10 million over the course of a five-year deal.
The race to the top doesn’t stop on the field, as brands increasingly buy into the vision of women’s sports with evaluations skyrocketing and visibility higher than ever.
This episode of 'The Late Sub' is presented in partnership with Visa.
In the latest episode of The Late Sub, podcast host and JWS staff writer Claire Watkins invites Bay FC center defensive midfielder Kiki Pickett into the studio to chat through the 2024 NWSL expansion's side banner first season — one, as Pickett reveals, where local support made all the difference.
"That love for women's sports is huge," the Santa Barbara native and Stanford grad says of her team's Northern California home. "And then we have the Valkyries coming in as well, so I think that's only just going to increase."
Throughout the conversation, Pickett looks back on other sources of support, including hands-on backing from team staff as well as a unique partnership with founding partner Visa that sees direct investment in current Bay FC players. In addition to investing in enhanced player benefits such as dedicated mental health support, Visa's partnership enables players to more efficiently earn the maximum amount of appearance fee compensation available under the NWSL's current CBA.
"I think that's been a huge advantage for us, knowing that they have our back on whatever it is — recovery, nutrition, mental balance," she says of Bay FC's Visa partnership. "Those are just the little details that get us above and beyond."
Bay FC's rise from shaky start to 2024 NWSL Playoffs
Pickett then walks Watkins through the team's impressive mid-season turnaround, explaining how Bay FC became the perfect NWSL underdog before highlighting some of the most memorable moments from the team's record-breaking debut year.
"Every game has helped us learn and build our blocks," Pickett continues, reflecting on the team's journey from a shaky start to making last weekend's NWSL quarterfinals. "The mindset switch was, 'If we're so focused on defense, you've got to make sure the offense is correct. If we're so focused on offense, we've got to make sure our defense is correct.' We eventually put those two together, and it just clicked."
"Maybe people aren't talking about us in the beginning because we didn't have the best record," she adds. "Now people are talking about us."
Elsewhere in the episode, Watkins also takes time to recap this past weekend's NWSL quarterfinals, talking through blowouts, surprises, empty tanks, and why the league's top four teams continue to rule the pitch this year.
About The Late Sub with Claire Watkins
The Late Sub with Claire Watkins brings you the latest news and freshest takes in women’s sports. This is the weekly rundown you’ve been missing, covering the USWNT, NWSL, WNBA, college hoops, and whatever else is popping off in women’s sports each week. Special guest appearances with the biggest names in women’s sports make The Late Sub a must-listen for every fan. Follow Claire on X/Twitter @ScoutRipley and subscribe to the Just Women’s Sports newsletter for more.
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The 2024 NWSL Playoffs are officially set, with Portland and Bay FC clinching the final two postseason spots this weekend.
The Thorns punched their ticket with Friday's 3-0 win over Angel City thanks to a trio of first-half goals from attackers Christine Sinclair, Sophia Smith, and Morgan Weaver. The victory officially extends Sinclair's pro career by at least one more match, and saw the soccer legend notch her final goal in front of a Providence Park home crowd in her 200th regular-season game.
Then on Saturday, a brace from forward Racheal Kundananji boosted Bay FC to a 3-2 win over Houston, snagging the 2024 expansion team the postseason's No. 7 seed in the process. Even more, Bay became the winningest first-year team in NWSL history with 11 wins, surpassing 2022 expansion team San Diego's 10 victories.
Top NWSL playoff teams build postseason momentum
The top four playoff-bound teams rolled through their last regular-season matches, with Orlando, Washington, Gotham, and Kansas City securing both victories and important postseason momentum.
Notably, Shield-winners Orlando snapped their two-game skid with Saturday's 3-2 win over Seattle, giving Pride fans hope for some more 2024 hardware.
North Carolina and Chicago, however, floundered in losses. Washington striker Ashley's Hatch's 37th-minute goal was the difference-maker in North Carolina's 1-0 loss on Saturday, the Courage's first home defeat since April 2023, when they also fell to the Spirit on a Hatch game-winner.
Like the Courage, the Red Stars locked up their playoff spot weeks ago, but their 3-1 Sunday loss to KC had arguably the most potent impact on the postseason picture. The combination of Chicago's defeat and victories from Portland and Bay sent the Red Stars down to eighth place on the table, their lowest standing in the league all season.
Chawinga officially clinches NWSL Golden Boot Award
The other big weekend winner was KC's Temwa Chawinga. Chawinga officially took the 2024 Golden Boot title behind her league-record 20 goals and six assists, despite sitting out the Current's Sunday victory with a knee injury.
Also impressing from the injured list this season is Spirit rookie Croix Bethune, who finished as the year's NWSL assist leader. Before her season-ending meniscus tear in August, Bethune notched 10 assists to tie the NWSL record held by Tobin Heath.
How to watch the 2024 NWSL Playoffs
The NWSL's first-ever eight-team bracket is locked up, with the quarterfinals kicking off on Friday.
No. 1 Orlando will face No. 8 Chicago at 8 PM ET on Friday, streaming live on Prime, with No. 4 Kansas City battling No. 5 North Carolina on Saturday at 12 PM ET on CBS.
Sunday's doubleheader will air on ABC, with No. 2 Washington hosting No. 7 Bay FC at 12:30 PM ET before No. 6 Portland visits No. 3 Gotham at 3 PM ET.
The NWSL's final weekend is all drama, complete with heated clashes that will determine the last two postseason berths and nearly all seeding for the 2024 NWSL playoffs.
While Shield-winners Orlando are secure at the top, the Pride will be desperate for a Saturday win over Seattle as they try and replace their two straight losses with some postseason momentum.
At the same time, Washington, Gotham, and Kansas City will all be jockeying for the No. 2 seed this weekend. While the Spirit and Current must contend with playoff-bound North Carolina and Chicago, respectively, Gotham's Friday matchup against a surging Utah looks surprisingly competitive.
Three NWSL teams battle over two playoff tickets
Seeding race aside, the final matchday's main event is an NWSL version of musical chairs in which three clubs — Portland, Bay FC, and Racing Louisville — will duke it out for the league's final two playoff spots.
The seventh-place Thorns and eighth-place Bay FC currently sit three points ahead of ninth-place Louisville, allowing both to clinch berths with either a win or a draw. If Portland and Bay walk with at least one point each, the postseason lineup will be settled before Sunday.
Should one or both teams lose, it'll all come down to Sunday's regular-season finale, where a win over San Diego plus a tie-breaking goal differential could send Louisville through to the quarterfinals.
The high-stakes elimination games
With the most on the line, Portland will shoot to extend their season — and goalscoring legend Christine Sinclair's career — against an already-eliminated Angel City side with nothing to lose on Friday. Perhaps most concerning is the fact that the up-and-down Thorns have lost three of their last four matches, while ACFC has only dropped one in the same stretch.
Bay FC arguably received a season finale gift in a Saturday visit to the Houston Dash, who finish the year at the bottom of the NWSL table. That said, one of the Dash's five wins this season came in a 3-2 Bay defeat at the end of March. Plus, with the worst goal differential of the three teams still in postseason contention, Bay will want to clinch with a Saturday result rather than gamble on potential tiebreakers.
As mentioned, a Portland or Bay loss sets up Sunday's final tilt as the weekend's biggest match, where Louisville will need to do better than their scoreless April draw with San Diego to usurp one of the West Coast squads's playoff spots.
How to watch this weekend's NWSL playoff elimination matches
Portland and ACFC will kick off the NWSL's make-or-break action on Friday at 10 PM ET on Prime before Houston hosts Bay on Saturday at 9:30 PM ET, airing on ION.
Should chaos rule the weekend, Louisville's match against San Diego will cap both the 2024 NWSL regular season and the playoff picture on Sunday at 5:30 PM ET, with live coverage on ESPN.
After an unprecedented 23-match unbeaten run, Orlando's path to the NWSL Championship appears to hang in the balance after two straight losses.
While falling to once-struggling Portland could be blamed on resting starters, last weekend's 3-1 loss to Gotham can't be ignored. The reigning champs managed to find the holes in Orlando's armor, becoming the only team this season to net three goals against the 2024 Shield-winners.
"Did they lose too late to overcome the emotions that come with the Shield win?," Claire Watkins asked on The Late Sub this week. "How do you right the ship?"
Bay, Louisville chase NWSL history in playoff pursuit
Clutch weekend wins kept eighth-place Bay FC and ninth-place Racing Louisville in the running for the final two playoff spots, with both teams also eyeing NWSL history.
Along with seventh-place Portland, Bay controls their fate, needing a win or a draw to clinch. That said, if Bay wins their last regular-season match on November 2nd, they'll not only become the second expansion team to qualify for the playoffs in their debut season, they’ll also do so with 11 victories — the most by a first-year club in league history.
Louisville faces a tougher path from three points below the cutoff line, needing both a final win and some help from a Portland or Bay loss. Should they advance, however, it'll mark the 2021 expansion club's first-ever trip to the playoffs.
The penultimate NWSL matchday has arrived, and there's no game with higher stakes this weekend than Saturday's clash between seventh-place Portland and ninth-place Louisville.
Both clubs sit three points from the postseason cutoff line, and while Louisville has everything to gain, the Thorns — who snapped Orlando’s unbeaten streak last weekend — have everything to lose.
Elsewhere in the NWSL, eighth-place Bay FC's Saturday test against the fifth-place Courage could determine multiple postseason fates. Meanwhile, ACFC hosts the surging Royals in a must-win match on Sunday.
NWSL playoff field comes down to two spots
With just two regular-season games to go, six of the NWSL's eight playoff berths are locked, while six other teams — Portland, Bay FC, Louisville, Utah, Angel City, and San Diego — are looking to punch the last two tickets.
This weekend's clinch and elimination scenarios:
- Seventh-place Portland can secure a berth with a win over Louisville, or a draw with Louisville plus a Bay FC loss.
- Eighth-place Bay FC can clinch with a win over North Carolina and a Louisville loss, or a draw with North Carolina plus a Louisville loss and a draw between Angel City and Utah.
- A Bay FC win immediately eliminates Angel City, San Diego, and Utah.
- To stay alive, 11th-place Angel City and 12th-place San Diego must win while 10th-place Utah must at least draw.
- Ninth-place Louisville can only be eliminated with a loss to Portland plus a Bay FC win or draw.
Hardware hoisters face off on Sunday
The top of the NWSL table has postseason berths and hosting duties all locked up, but even without playoff positioning on the line, Sunday's tilt between league-leaders Orlando and third-place Gotham is about more than bragging rights: The 2024 Shield-winners' visit to the 2023 champions feels like a postseason preview, all wrapped up in a Kelley O'Hara retirement party.
The Pride's response to their first season loss will unfold on Sunday's pitch while Gotham will be facing the only team to defeat them since June. Low stakes aside, this match is arguably all about momentum.
How to watch key NWSL matches this weekend
Portland kicks off against Louisville on Saturday at 7:30 PM ET before Bay FC takes on North Carolina at 10 PM ET, both on ION.
Then on Sunday, Angel City faces Utah at 7:30 PM ET, with live coverage on Paramount+.
The Pride's visit to Gotham will kick off at 5 PM ET on Sunday, with live coverage on ESPN.