Livescore
Fresh off the heels of a WNBA championship, New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu is adding to her job description. On Monday, NWSL club Bay FC announced that the All-Star guard and Bay Area native will join the club as an investor and advisor.
“I have full faith in the Club’s vision and its potential to make a profound impact within and beyond women’s soccer,” Ionescu said in a statement. “As someone with deep ties to the Bay Area, this opportunity holds even more significance, and I am truly honored to be a part of such a special endeavor to continue to grow women’s sports.”
Ionescu, who was born and raised in Walnut Creek, California, will not only be a part-owner of Bay FC, but will be “an official Commercial Advisor” to the club. Per the team statement, Ionescu will advise the franchise on commercial strategy and help the club’s players with individual brand endorsements.
Ionescu has some of the most lucrative brand deals in the WNBA, and was the first women’s basketball player to have a unisex signature collection with Nike. In the statement, Bay FC CEO Brady Stewart called the 27-year-old guard “the ultimate innovator.”
“Adding her passion and vision to what we are building at Bay FC will allow us to further disrupt the sports landscape,” Stewart added.
Ionescu told ESPN that it was important for her to be more involved in the club instead of just investing.
“That was a big part of it for me — I want to invest, but I want it to be more than just transactional,” Ionescu said. “I want to grow my relationship with the team and the players and be able to bring in the relationships that I have and what I’ve learned on the business side of things to help with their overall brand partnership strategy.”
Bay FC joined the league last season, becoming the NWSL’s 14th team. The franchise was co-founded by Brandi Chastain, Leslie Osborne, Danielle Slaton and Aly Wagner — four former USWNT players with ties to the Bay Area. Bay finished seventh in the league, making the playoffs in its inaugural season.
Ionescu will be the second basketball player in the ownership group: NBA player Andre Iguodala, who spent most of his career with the Golden State Warriors, is also a minority investor in the club.
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