The Bay Area announced Tuesday the addition of two new professional women's teams, the San Francisco Firebells of women's baseball and the San Francisco Signal of women's volleyball, expanding a growing roster of female‑focused franchises in the region.
A tribute to a fire‑fighting pioneer
The Firebells take their name from Lillie Hitchcock Coit, a 19th‑century San Francisco volunteer firefighter who earned the nickname “Firebelle” for her daring presence on the city’s streets and for defying gender norms by wearing trousers when it was still uncommon for women.
The Signal’s moniker emerged from a fan‑submission contest, with the winning name chosen from thousands of suggestions that captured the region’s optimism and forward momentum.
A broader surge in women’s professional sport
Both clubs will enter competitive seasons in the coming months, with the Firebells opening against the Boston Hunters on August 2 in Springfield, Illinois, and the Signal preparing to field its inaugural roster later this month as the League One Volleyball (LOVB) campaign kicks off in January.
The new teams join existing Bay Area women’s outfits such as the WNBA’s Golden State Valkyries and the NWSL’s Bay FC, while the Firebells will compete in the Women’s Pro Baseball League (WPBL) and the Signal in LOVB, a league that is set to grow from six to ten franchises by 2027.
Beyond the on‑field action, the announcements underscore a cultural shift that celebrates historic figures like Coit, whose legacy of courage and community service continues to inspire new generations of athletes and fans alike.