The Phoenix were quick to replace Bhandari, Middag and Whinham, bolstering their team with the mid-season additions of young Football Ferns midfielder Emma Pijnenburg and American strikers Makala Woods and Mackenzie Anthony.
But Priestman said she did not plan on making any further transfers, backing the existing players to collectively fill the void created by Bott’s absence.
Vice captain Mackenzie Barry will wear the armband for the remainder of the season, though her involvement in their next game against Adelaide United at Porirua Park on Sunday is uncertain after limping off with an ankle injury in their 2-0 victory against Canberra United last weekend.
Priestman said she could tell Bott had some big news to share but the coach’s immediate reaction was one of excitement.
“I could tell she was very, very nervous to tell me. She was super emotional and I was just over the moon. As a coach, yeah you’re here to coach football but to see someone have that news and have that moment in their life, I know personally as a parent it’s a really special moment,” Priestman said.
“I think she needed to hear how supportive I was, how the club would be and her team-mates would be. I think the timing of the injuries was what weighed on her but I was just delighted for her and delighted for the journey she is going to go on and the growth you get in that process.
“To have a baby around the environment – I had that in Canada just before I left it – it brings the group together.”
Bott is contracted with the Phoenix until the end of the 2026-27 campaign and has made it her goal to be back on the pitch for next season.
“Of course I do [want to return],” Bott said. “You obviously never know – every woman is different – but hopefully I’ll be in good stead to return next season.”
