Sabrina Ionescu Joins Bay FC as Investor and Commercial Advisor
Sabrina Ionescu, who played for the Oregon Ducks and New York Liberty teams, is now investing in Bay FC, a National Women’s Soccer League team. The club debuted in 2024 and plays out of PayPal Park in San Jose, California. A diverse group of business leaders, athletes, and executives see women’s sports as a prime investment opportunity.
This move is about more than just financial backing for Ionescu. “I want to invest, but I want it to be more than just transactional,” she explained. “I want to grow my relationship with the team and the players, and bring in the relationships that I have and what I’ve learned on the business side to help with their overall brand partnership strategy.”
Along with her investment, the reigning WNBA champion will be Bay FC’s Official Commercial Advisor, assisting in the club’s marketing and commercial growth.
A New Era for Women’s Sports
Bay FC CEO Brady Stewart praised Ionescu’s leadership and trailblazing mindset: “Sabrina is the ultimate innovator and creates new pathways for aspiring and current professional athletes. Adding her passion and vision to what we are building at Bay FC will allow us to further disrupt the sports landscape.”
Bay FC’s investment by her comes at a crucial time for women’s sports, specifically basketball. The Golden State Valkyries will debut as the league’s 13th franchise in 2025 as the WNBA continues its major expansion. The Toronto Tempo will be the first WNBA team based in Canada in 2026, with future teams planned in Portland and Cleveland.
“It hasn’t happened overnight for us,” Ionescu noted. “It’s been years of athletes kicking down the door, voicing what they want to see. It’s taken investment, and now expansion… But to see it now in real-time—viewership, attendance, sponsorships—everything is at an all-time high. And you see it across different sports… Soccer is a big one, especially Bay FC.”
Building Her Business Legacy
Ionescu is already well-known outside of court. After launching a unisex signature shoe and clothing line with Nike, her Sabrina 2 sneaker collection quickly became a hit, becoming the first female basketball player to do so. Her growing influence in the sports business world has led her to explore the possibility of designing soccer cleats for Bay FC and other NWSL clubs. The partnership between Bay FC and Ionescu is just starting due to her competitive mindset and visionary leadership. Breaking barriers in basketball and business shows that investing in women’s sports is not only the right move—it’s also the smart one.
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