Orlando Pride W

2015–2018: Establishment and early years

Following the 2015 NWSL season, it was rumored that the Orlando City SC ownership group would be adding an expansion team to the women's professional league. On October 20, 2015, a press conference was held at Lake Eola Park where Phil Rawlins unveiled the team name, logo, and colors. Former national team head coach of Australia and the United States, Tom Sermanni, was announced as the team's first head coach.

On October 26, 2015, the Pride announced that they had made the first player acquisitions in team history; signing forward Alex Morgan and Kaylyn Kyle from Portland Thorns FC in exchange for the Pride's No. 1 picks in the 2015 NWSL Expansion Draft and the 2016 NWSL College Draft as well as an international roster spot for the 2016 and 2017 seasons, and also acquired Sarah Hagen in a separate trade with FC Kansas City along with Kansas City's second-round 2016 draft pick in exchange for the Pride's 2017 second-round draft pick. They finished their inaugural season in 9th with a record of 6–1–13.

Over the course of their 2017 season, the Pride added several significant players, trading for Washington Spirit defender and future co-captain Ali Krieger; signing five time FIFA World Player of the Year and Brazil international Marta; and officially adding Alex Morgan to the active roster following the end of her six-month loan to Olympique Lyonnais Féminin. In particular, Marta, who scored 13 goals and contributed 6 assists (second-most in both league categories that season), and Morgan, who scored 9 goals, were credited for the team's late-season offensive resurgence and success. The Pride qualified for the playoffs for the first time in franchise history as they finished the regular season in 3rd place with a record of 11–7–6. They went to Portland Thorns FC for the semi-final but lost 4–1.

To bolster a defense that allowed the most goals of any playoff team in 2017, the Pride signed Canadian international Shelina Zadorsky, outside-back Carson Pickett, and Brazilian defender Poliana. The Pride also strengthened an already potent offense with the addition of forward Sydney Leroux and midfielders Christine Nairn and Emily van Egmond. Despite these efforts, the team's struggles with key players' availabilities contributed to inconsistent on-field performances. Ultimately, the Pride finished their 2018 season in 7th place, missing the playoffs. Head coach Tom Sermanni and the Orlando Pride mutually parted ways after three seasons; Sermanni had a regular season record of 25–29–14 during his spell in Orlando, going 0–1–0 in the playoffs.

Marc Skinner, defensive struggles, and COVID-19 (2019–2021)

In January 2019, Marc Skinner stepped down from his role at FA WSL side Birmingham City to become the Pride's second ever head coach.

In May 2019, plans were unveiled to build a dedicated training facility at Sylvan Lake Park, the first-ever training facility in the NWSL that is tailored to and used exclusively by a women's team. The Pride plan to finish out the 2019 season at their current facility located at Seminole Soccer Complex before moving to the new state-of-the art training ground prior to the start of the 2020 season.

The Pride's 2019 season was once again characterized by the absences of key players. As the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup occurred in the middle of the NWSL season, the Pride temporarily lost Alex Morgan, Ali Krieger, and Ashlyn Harris; Brazilian internationals Marta and Camila; Australian internationals Emily van Egmond and Alanna Kennedy; and Canadian international Shelina Zadorsky. Concurrently, new coach Marc Skinner sought to implement a more possession-based style. This transition, in conjunction with player absences, contributed to one of the worst records in league history. The team finished the season in last place with a record of 4–4–16, having conceded a league record 53 goals in 24 games.

To address their defensive fragility, the Pride traded their 2020 NWSL Draft No. 1 pick to the Portland Thorns in exchange for defender Emily Sonnett. The Thorns also traded the NWSL rights to forward Caitlin Foord, as well as the No. 7 and No. 14 draft picks in the 2020 draft. With the introduction of allocation money, the Pride also signed veteran defender Ali Riley and defensive midfielder Jade Moore. The waiving, trading, or departure of 16 players signaled the team's intention to overhaul the roster.

The start of the regular 2020 season was halted by the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. In June and July 2020, the NWSL held the 25-game 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup tournament in a "bubble" environment in Utah. However, the Orlando Pride was forced to withdraw when multiple players and staff tested positive for COVID-19. As a result, the Pride solely played in the 2020 Fall Series, which began in September and featured a regional "pod" structure that only guaranteed four games for each team. Many veteran players had opted to sign loan or short-term contracts overseas for additional playing time, resulting in the Pride playing with a depleted roster. The Pride came last in their pod, aggregating a record of 2 draws and 2 losses. Amidst the Fall Series, the Pride exercised the contract option to keep Marc Skinner through the 2021 season.

Prior to the 2021 season, the Pride continued to rebuild the team and club structure. The organization hired Ian Fleming as Orlando Pride general manager and former NWSL managing director Amanda Duffy as the team's first executive vice president. In December 2020, the Pride traded Emily Sonnett to the Washington Spirit in exchange for midfielder Meggie Dougherty Howard, the 2021 NWSL College Draft No. 9 pick, an additional conditional first-round draft pick in the upcoming draft, and $140,000 in allocation money. Another 17 players were waived, traded, or otherwise departed, including stalwarts like Alanna Kennedy, Camila, Shelina Zadorsky, Emily van Egmond, Kristen Edmonds, and Carson Pickett. Defensive additions like Amy Turner, Kylie Strom, Courtney Petersen (No. 7 draft pick), and Phoebe McClernon (no. 14 draft pick); midfield reinforcements like Gunnhildur Jónsdóttir and Erika Tymrak; and a resurgence from the forward line, helped facilitate an improved record. On April 22, 2021, the Pride won their first competitive match in 609 days as part of the 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup. The team began their season with a seven-game unbeaten streak.