Lucy Rushton has always been a trailblazer of sorts. For five years, she served as Atlanta United’s head of technical recruitment and analysis, helping launch one of Major League Soccer’s most successful expansion sides. At D.C. United, she became just the second woman in history to serve as a general manager of an MLS club, and the first whose responsibilities included the technical aspects of the game.
So when Bay FC, the NWSL’s newest franchise, offered to make her the club’s first general manager, the opportunity felt both familiar and exciting.
“When this came along,” Rushton told The Athletic, “It just ticked every box.”
Bay, co-founded by former USWNT veterans Brandi Chastain, Aly Wagner, Danielle Slaton, and Leslie Osborne along with majority investors Sixth Street Partners, will make their NWSL debut in 2024. Bringing Rushton on board involved a significant investment — multiple sources familiar with the agreement between Bay and Rushton portrayed her compensation as “multiple times” higher than what many MLS general managers make. The club is betting big on Rushton’s experience.
The 34-year-old was already a respected figure within MLS circles when she arrived at D.C. United in 2021. Aside from her experiences in Atlanta, where she…
