Bay FC Signs Rising Star Kennedy Fuller from Angel City FC
BAY FC have made their biggest bet yet on the club’s attacking future, prising highly rated midfielder Kennedy Fuller from Angel City FC in a blockbuster intra-league deal.
The expansion side is sending $500,000 in intra-league transfer funds and $20,000 in allocation money to Los Angeles, along with acquiring an international roster spot for the rest of the 2026 season. Fuller will link up with Bay FC after the June international window.
This is not a depth move. It’s a statement.
A Teenager With a Grown-Up Resume
Fuller is only 18, but she arrives in San Jose with the résumé of a veteran playmaker. In 2026, she has already scored two goals and provided two assists for Angel City, featuring in all 11 of their matches before the NWSL’s June break. Last year she emerged as one of the league’s most inventive creators, finishing in the top 10 for chances created with 36 and earning Week 24 Player of the Week honors.
She has been on a fast track from the start. The Southlake, Texas native made her professional debut at just 16 in March 2024, becoming the eighth player signed under the NWSL’s Under-18 Entry Mechanism. Since then, her reputation has grown with every touch between the lines.
Bay FC head coach Emma Coates made it clear why the club pushed so hard to get her.
“Kennedy is an exciting player and a fantastic addition,” Coates said. “She is a superb young talent who possesses lots of NWSL experience. Her creativity and quality on the ball make her a joy to watch and will add to our attack. What is most exciting is the room she has to continue developing, and I believe she has a very bright future ahead of her at Bay FC.”
The price tag backs up that belief. In a league where intra-league funds are guarded carefully, Bay FC have paid like a club convinced they are buying both the present and the next decade.
Built for the Big Stage
Fuller’s rise has not been confined to club football. She has been a mainstay in the United States youth national team setup since 2022, and her performances on the international stage have matched the hype.
She helped drive the U.S. U-15s to the Concacaf Women’s U-15 Championship title in 2022, claiming the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player. Two years later, she added more silverware with the U-17s in 2024, winning gold at the Concacaf Women’s U-17 Championship and bronze at the U-17 World Cup. Across those two tournaments, she scored 12 goals, underlining her threat in and around the box.
Her impact has not gone unnoticed. Fuller was named one of three finalists for U.S. Soccer’s 2024 Young Player of the Year award, a marker of how highly she is regarded within the federation.
Most recently, she has stepped into the U-20 national team, featuring in June alongside future Bay FC teammate Onyeka Gamero. That connection now shifts from national camp to club training ground, a useful shortcut for chemistry in an attack that Bay FC are clearly intent on sharpening.
A Player Who Wants the Responsibility
For all the numbers and honors, Fuller’s move is also about fit. She spoke like a player ready to embrace responsibility in a new market.
“I’m incredibly excited to join Bay FC and be part of what the club is building,” Fuller said. “From my conversations with Emma and the staff, it was clear that this is an environment where players are challenged to grow and reach their potential. I’m looking forward to learning from my teammates, connecting with the fans and doing everything I can to help the team compete for championships.”
That last word matters. Championships. Bay FC are not easing their way into the NWSL. They are spending and recruiting like a club determined to accelerate the project, to turn promise into pressure games as quickly as possible.
Fuller, still a teenager, now walks into that expectation. She brings creativity, end product, and a track record of delivering when the stage gets bigger. Bay FC are gambling that she will do the same in San Jose – and that when the league’s next wave of stars fully arrives, one of them will be wearing their badge.
