SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Mandy Freeman sat at a high-top table in a semi-crowded Civic Center on Thursday afternoon and looked at the action happening around her.
Her Gotham FC teammates looked like rock stars as reporters and influencers sought their insight before Saturday's championship match against the Spirit.
It's the second time in three years the veteran has witnessed this media frenzy ahead of an NWSL Championship game.
The rocky journey for the franchise to be in this position -- to be a consistent title contender and playoff threat -- is not lost on Freeman, Gotham's longest-tenured player.
"Having seen it all and seen what this club really can be, I'm grateful that I've stuck it out for as long as I have," Freeman told The Post. "I think I have a great appreciation for what this club has really put behind its people. ... I feel like we just always have really good players and really quality staff that are helping elevate us everywhere."
Freeman joined Gotham when they were known as Sky Blue FC.
She was 21 and a recent USC grad, with championship aspirations.
Reality dulled her rose-colored glasses. Instability and underwhelming performances haunted the franchise for years.
Over her first four seasons, Gotham never finished higher than sixth.
It wasn't until 2021 that Gotham earned their first playoff berth since the NWSL's inaugural season in 2013.
Freeman has had six coaches in nine seasons.
"Going from Sky Blue, drafted out of college [in] 2017 to who we are now, it hasn't been an easy ride," Freeman said. "There's definitely been highs and lows. We've had really poor seasons and had really great seasons."
Midfielder Taryn Torres can relate.
"My rookie year [in 2022], we were in dead last place," she said. "The coach was removed halfway through the year, a lot of adversity."
Those dark days are now a distant memory for Torres, Freeman and the few other remaining relics of the past.
Gotham brought in new ownership and management.
Juan Carlos Amorós has transformed Gotham into one of the league’s steadiest, most exciting teams.
Ownership’s trust in Amorós is so strong that Gotham extended the Spaniard’s contract through 2029.
The deal, announced in April, ensured the franchise has continuity and a respected voice.
"The team that I got drafted to is not the same team that we are now -- a lot of turnover with players, bringing in new ownership and new management that have really shown a great appreciation for who we are as players and have a clear idea of where they want the club to go," Freeman said. "We always say that we want to be kind of the global head of women's sports and just sports in general just being in a New York market. So I think having that clear idea has really kind of put together an identity of who we are and who we want to be."
The motto, "Always building, never finished," is plastered all over Gotham's practice facility, serving as a constant reminder that the process to excellence is unending. It keeps the once-dysfunctional franchise in pursuit of championships.
The switch seemed to flip for Gotham in 2023.
That season, they captured the final spot in the playoff picture and pulled off upset after upset before ultimately winning the franchise's first championship.
Last year, Gotham were in a good position to win again.
They ended the regular season in third place for the club's best finish in franchise history.
But the Spirit spoiled their chance at a repeat in last year's semifinals.
Freeman, Torres and Amorós are two of the few holdovers from the 2023 team.
This season hasn't been perfect.
Injuries caused the team to play different lineups, which sometimes resulted in inconsistent play.
Gotham stumbled at the end of the season and fell to eighth in the standings.
But Amorós feels his team has special magic.
"It's a different magic, but it's definitely our magic," he said. "We work so hard to make sure that we get to this point. ... It's just the journey. Each group is different and we try to make sure that we can control the controllables that can get us to this point."