Bay FC has its general manager in Lucy Rushton, the NWSL expansion club announced Thursday.

The hire comes after Bay FC was announced as the NWSL’s 14th team in April. The team is set to begin play in 2024.

This will be Rushton’s first position in women’s soccer after spending much of her career in MLS, most recently as general manager for D.C. United from 2021-22. She was just the second woman to become an MLS general manager. Before that, she served as head of technical recruitment and analysis for Atlanta United from 2016-21, helping the team to the 2018 MLS Cup.

“Lucy has been a barrier breaker her entire career, and she’s a perfect fit for the culture we’re seeking to build at Bay FC,” club co-chair Alan Waxman said in a statement. “We’re going to set a new standard for what a women’s professional sports franchise can be, and Lucy’s addition is a big next step towards that goal.”

She was fired in October 2022 from D.C. United at the tail end of a season in which the team finished last in the league. While on-field performance was cited as the reason for her departure, it also came three months after Wayne Rooney was named as manager and reportedly grew more involved in player matters.

For Bay FC, Rushton’s analytical mind was appealing, ESPN reported. And her experience in taking on groundbreaking roles was also a plus.

“Football has been my lifelong obsession,” Rushton said in a statement. “I’m incredibly excited to join Bay FC.”

On Wednesday, former Levi Strauss & Co. executive Brady Stewart was tabbed as Bay F.C.’s first CEO.

“We’re committed to building a world-class organization for our fans and our community, and that starts with being the best we can be on the soccer field,” Stewart said. “Lucy’s career as a trailblazer in the EPL and MLS speaks for itself. Her data, analytics and process driven approach to the game is going to set the tone for how we build this club, and I’m incredibly excited to be working with her.”

The newest NWSL team has a name: Bay Football Club, or Bay FC for short.

The club’s name was announced by retired U.S. women’s national team legend Aly Wagner during a press conference Thursday.

“There have been a lot of mascots and silly names associated with our craft. That is not the path that we wanted to go down,” Wagner said, joking that she felt “nervous excitement” ahead of the brand reveal that she hadn’t felt since her playing days.

Bay FC’s logo is a stylized “B” in gothic lettering and the club’s colors will be navy blue, red and gray.

The NWSL officially awarded the franchise its rights in April. Bay FC will begin play in the NWSL in 2024, joining the returning Utah Royals.

The club is backed by majority investor Sixth Street and is partnered with four retired USWNT stars in Brandi Chastain, Danielle Slaton, Leslie Osborne and Wagner.