The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) has announced that Los Angeles has acquired a NWSL team, after a majority woman-founded group secured exclusive rights to bring a professional women’s soccer team to the city.
The group which has named itself “Angel City” is led by actress Natalie Portman, technology venture capitalist Kara Nortman, media and gaming entrepreneur Julie Uhrman, and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. Moreover, its investors include Serena Williams, Netflix VP Original Content Cindy Holland, FIFA World Cup Champions Lauren Cheney Holiday and Abby Wambach and a multitude of former US Women’s National Team players among others.
Los Angeles will officially be integrated into the NWSL in spring 2022 and despite the group coining themselves as Angel City, the team’s official name, along with its venue partner has yet to be revealed.
“The growth trajectory of the NWSL is incredibly exciting, but we also need to be strategic and thoughtful about how fast we expand and the communities we partner with,” stated NWSL Commissioner Lisa Baird.
“We’ve long sought the right partner in LA considering the NWSL fanbase that already exists in the region and the massive interest in women’s soccer in general. Those factors, along with an incredible ownership group make this an ideal situation and we couldn’t be more thrilled to move forward.”
Los Angeles’ place in the NWSL, which as of right now has nine clubs, makes the city the first California-based team in the competition. The league has also previously announced that Kentucky will also be provided a team with Racing Louisville FC joining in 2021, meaning that after Los Angeles’ debut the NSWL will feature at least 11 clubs.
Founder Natalie Portman added: “Today we take an exciting step by announcing the first women majority-owned and led ownership group.
“I am thrilled by the opportunity to partner with this incredible group of people to bring a professional women’s soccer team to Los Angeles. Together, we aim to build not only a winning team on the field, but also to develop a passionately loyal fan base.
“We also hope to make a substantive impact on our community, committing to extending access to sports for young people in Los Angeles through our relationship with the LA84 Foundation. Sports are such a joyful way to bring people together, and this has the power to make tangible change for female athletes both in our community and in the professional sphere.”
