In the five years since Racing Louisville was founded, the club has never had anything to celebrate—until now.

Year after year, the team finished in ninth place, languishing in the middle of the table.

But in 2025, something shifted. Louisville improved their tactics, started to win, and their hard work finally paid off. For the first time in club history, they secured a hard-earned spot in the NWSL playoffs and gave their fans something to celebrate.

Racing Louisville’s best year yet

The year wasn’t without challenges for the team, led by head coach Bev Yanez.

Star midfielder Savannah DeMelo was forced to leave a game after a medical emergency and has not returned. Multiple players had to sit out of games due to red cards and extra disciplinary punishments. Yanez suffered a second miscarriage, causing her to briefly step away from the team.

But the team was also doing something different, and seeing it pay off. They started focusing on a strategy that worked for them, and growing into their identity for the first time. A 4-1 loss to the San Diego Wave in April was a turning point that forced them to reassess their tactics and make changes.

“I think at the end of last season we were asking and begging for an identity,” said Racing defender Arin Wright. “We had all the pieces, right? But we couldn’t—we didn’t know what we needed to be within that. And this year, I think the staff and the players, we’ve found what made us us. And we found that identity—we’re gritty, we high press, we take people on. You’re not going to win 50-50s off us. We win our aerial duels.

Although Racing wasn’t able to spend money on million-dollar transfer fees like other clubs did, players like goalkeeper Jordyn Bloomer, midfielder Taylor Flint, and forward Emma Sears were consistently putting in top performances.

Bloomer stepped into the starting keeper role and made a huge impact after former starter Katie Lund was placed on the season-ending injury list in May. With an average of 4.2 saves per 90 minutes, she cemented herself as one of the top keepers in the league.

After signing in 2024 as a rookie, 24-year-old Sears scored ten goals throughout the 2025 season as the club’s top goal scorer. The emerging star has also made several appearances with the USWNT, including a hat trick in an October international friendly.

For the first time, Louisville was becoming a fixture teams were worried about playing.

Clinching playoffs for the first time

On the last day of the NWSL regular season, known as Decision Day, Louisville still hadn’t clinched their playoff spot. But the team managed a 1-0 win against Bay FC, reaching a seventh-place regular season finish and cementing their spot in the playoffs for the very first time. The players were ecstatic, and fans were, too.

“I’m so incredibly excited for this group,” said Yanez in a press conference after the match. “We’ve trusted the process the whole time and we believe that we’ve really put our stamp on the season in regards to our identity, the character that we’ve shown.”

It was even more special that they got to celebrate the moment with the fans who had been there all along.

“It’s extra special to clinch a playoff spot for the first time in club history, and to do it at home and celebrate with our home fans and all those that have been supporting us this entire time,” Yanez said.

By leading her team to the playoffs, Yanez became the first person to ever reach the NWSL playoffs as both a player and a coach, in just her second year as head coach. She was also nominated for NWSL Coach of the Year.

Yanez is almost universally praised by the players and coaches who have worked with her, for both her coaching talent and personal qualities.

“I just think that her humility and grace, leading us this season has been the biggest impact for our group,” said Sears. “I love playing for her. We have such a close-knit relationship as a team and I think that she deserves so much credit for that. It’s just really exciting to play for a coach like her.”

Louisville’s playoff run ends in Washington, D.C.

Louisville played their playoff match against the Washington Spirit on November 8, and put up a strong fight. Spirit forward Gift Monday scored late in the second half, then Racing forward Kayla Fischer equalized in stoppage time, sending the game into extra time. Still tied at 1-1 after extra time, the match went to penalty kicks to decide who would move on.

While forward Bethany Balcer scored the team’s first penalty, the next three Racing penalty takers failed to convert. Spirit converted each of theirs. Louisville’s long-awaited playoff run was finished.

Yanez and players expressed disappointment, but also pride.

“I would be lying to you if I told you we weren’t sad to not continue on today,” said Yanez. “I also would be lying if I didn’t tell you how proud I am of the group this season and what they were able to accomplish and how incredible of a season it was.”

“I’m incredibly proud of this group,” said Wright. “I think what we put on the field today is a testament of who we’ve been all season… this team is unlike any team I’ve ever been on… we gave everything we had for this club, for this crest, for this team.”

But Yanez said that the team was excited to continue their journey next year, and that she was proud of how far they’ve come.

“We will continue to get better,” said Yanez. “I think we’ve set the bar. I think when people see our logo, when they see our jerseys, they know what to expect and I think it’s a massive accomplishment to be able to say that as a group that we’ve so bought in. We know what people can expect. We know what people will look for and I’m really excited to continue building off of that and the opportunity to be even better next year.”

While Louisville won’t take home any silverware this year, the team has made incredible progress. Their success is a testament to the work Yanez and the players have put in.

This may have been the team’s first playoff appearance, but if Yanez and the team have their way, it won’t be their last.