Exclusive: Jenna Nighswonger Talks Bay FC Move, Arsenal Exit and USWNT Hopes

In her first interview since returning to the NWSL, the 2023 Rookie of the Year says she is eyeing the U.S. roster for the 2027 Women’s World Cup after a tough spell in the WSL.

Jenna Nighswonger hasn’t featured for the USWNT in more than a year—something she’s looking to change ahead of the 2027 World Cup. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Jenna Nighswonger was a revelation in her rookie year. The 2023 season saw the Florida State midfielder drafted fourth overall by Gotham FC. There, she would not only help her team to its first NWSL championship, but win Rookie of the Year—all while converting to fullback, a position she had never played. 

But that wasn’t challenging enough for the Huntington Beach, Calif. native. At the conclusion of the 2024 season, Nighswonger was looking to push herself even more, so she signed with WSL side Arsenal in 2025. 

“One of my biggest reasons to go to England was to experience something new, and I was able to do that there,” Nighswonger tells Sports Illustrated. “In going there I was out of my comfort zone, even off the field. I got to meet some great people, make friends, explore a new country, and that’s something I’m always going to be grateful for and take with me.”

But Nighswonger saw limited playing time aboard, making only six total appearances for Arsenal and eight appearances on loan last season at Aston Villa. But now, the NWSL and California have called her home with Nighswonger signing with Bay FC through 2028. Per ESPN, the deal is reportedly worth around $200,000.

In 2023, Nighswonger won the NWSL title and Rookie of the Year with Gotham. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

“Bay was such an exciting team to come to, they are a team with so much investment and I’m really excited and thankful to be part of this project,” she says. “I think with [manager] Emma [Coates] and her staff, the background, knowledge and expertise that they have, it makes me so excited to learn from them.”

Nighswonger’s move to Bay is a homecoming of sorts. She relishes finally being able to play so close to her family. With her parents in Southern California and her older sister Erin living in Utah, she’s expecting to see them at her home games. 

“It’s crazy to wake up and know that my parents are in the same time zone, and we play Utah next week,” Nighswonger says with a laugh, noting she expects to see her sister in the stands. 

Although she is only 25, Nighswonger brings a breadth of experience to a young Bay FC team. Her experience on a title-winning team and two teams in England give her a unique perspective for her new squad. She celebrates the fact that she was able to play in two of the most competitive leagues in the world, and believes it's a hallmark of the growth of women’s soccer that players have a choice of several highly competitive leagues around the world. 

“When I went to England, I was posed the question [of which league is more competitive] and I think the decision to come back was more about what was professionally and personally best for me,” Nighswonger says.

Nighswonger (22) won the Women’s Champions League title in her first year with Arsenal. | Eric Verhoeven/Soccrates/Getty Images

In speaking with Coates and her staff before joining Bay, Nighswonger’s interest was piqued by talk of tactical fluidity, a skill that she finds essential to playing at fullback in a role that is constantly evolving. 

“Having the ability to come inside, go high, play lower, I’m really interested in that tactical side of soccer,” Nighswonger says. “Emma has such an incredible background and she and the staff are invested and bought in. They’re going to be so helpful for me with my technique and improving areas where I want to improve.” 

As Nighswonger begins to get a feel for the culture of the club, she sees a balanced team where the young players are not just there to learn and grow, but to meaningfully contribute to the success of the club. Much of the roster falls in their early 20s and is bookended by 18-year-old Alex Pfeiffer and 36-year-old Italian international Cristiana Girelli, with the latter already taking Nighswonger under her wing.

“I watched Girelli in the Euros and wow—it’s amazing the fight that she has and how well Italy did, and to be on her team now is really cool,” Nighswonger says. “She brings something that younger players can learn from and just that fight that you get in playing so many international games.”

Even off the field, Girelli is already giving Nighswonger tips. “She also needs to teach me how to properly use the moka pot to make coffee because apparently I’ve been doing it wrong!” Nighswonger laughs. “I invited myself over so she could teach me.”

And although she jokes, this is what Nighswonger already loves about Bay. The team culture, the welcome she received before she even donned her training gear, the investment she sees both in the team and in the players: It all culminated into her already feeling like she’s found her footing for this next iteration of her career—and she’s looking forward to putting it all together on the pitch, perhaps even helping Bay FC climb up the table into a playoff sport.

“I’m really excited to help in any way that I can, and obviously I need to bring my skills to the team to help them, whether it’s assisting, starting attacks or defensively,” Nighswonger says. “But I’m really excited to learn from Emma’s tactics as well, I feel like I have so much to learn from her.” 

In coming to Bay, Nighswonger still has her heart set on making the USWNT’s 2027 FIFA World Cup roster. She received her first U.S. women’s national team call-up in 2023, made 20 appearances, scored two goals and was part of the team that won the 2024 Olympic gold, appearing in five of the six games for that tournament. However, she hasn’t received a call-up since early 2025—and she’s out to change that. 

“Everyone always wants to push the best that they can be,” Nighswonger says. “I really want to be at the World Cup, it’s something that’s always in the back of my mind. So I think for now my focus is just on adjusting, getting back into this league, playing well for this team and, hopefully, when you focus on those little things, the other rewards will come.”