Professional Women’s Sports are on the Rise. When Will High School Teams Catch Up?

September 18, 2025

The growth of women’s sports in the past year is undeniable—not just globally, but also within the Bay Area. The region known best as a hub for technology creation is thriving in a new type of innovation—women’s sports franchises. In the past 18 months, two new teams have launched, including the Women’s National Basketball Association’s Golden State Valkyries and the National Women’s Soccer League’s (NWSL) Bay Football Club, Northern California’s professional team.

The National Women’s Soccer League’s previous single-match attendance record was shattered in a match hosted by Bay FC, on Aug. 23, 2025. This new achievement gives promise for possible boosts in fan presence for female athletes at M-A.

In the past three years, M-A has seen growth in athletic offerings for female student-athletes. In 2024, the school followed the statewide trend of adding girls’ flag football—both varsity and JV teams—to its fall sports catalog. M-A also debuted a freshman girls soccer team in the winter of 2022, and has continued to field three teams since.

The rise of women’s sports was recently reaffirmed with the attendance record surpassment on the 23rd. The professional women’s soccer team, Bay FC, hosted the Washington Spirit at the converted baseball stadium, Oracle Park. The location was evidently more convenient for supporters living in San Fransico as it eliminated travel outside of the city. Normally, their home games are held in San Jose’s PayPal Park, but the change of stadium encouraged a total of 40,091 fans to attend the match. Breaking the previous record of 35,038, this is another sign of increased popularity that many argue is long overdue. machronicle