Michele Kang knows what you're thinking. No, she never planned to own one women's soccer team, let alone three. But when you spot a good investment, you take it.
"I really fell in love with the game and the potential," she said. "I am just grateful for this opportunity to be a catalyst and sort of a match that could light a fire."
Kang's empire includes the Washington Spirit in the NWSL, London City Lionesses in England's Women's Super League, and Lyon in France. These aren't small teams either. The Spirit won the NWSL championship in 2021. Lyon has eight Women's Champions League titles. The Lionesses just got promoted to England's top tier.
Multi-club ownership isn't new in men's soccer. You've got Manchester City's owners running teams worldwide, and Red Bull doing the same. But on the women's side? That's rare. Especially owning three teams in three top leagues.
The Trinity Rodman Deal Shows Her Influence
Kang recently pulled off something huge. She helped the Spirit re-sign U.S. star Trinity Rodman after the forward became a free agent. This wasn't easy – the league's salary cap was causing problems.
The NWSL had to create a new "High Impact Player" rule that lets teams spend $1 million over the cap for certain players. The Spirit used it to keep Rodman. For bettors watching NWSL futures, keeping a player of Rodman's caliber dramatically improves Washington's championship odds for 2025.
"She believes in women's sports so much," Rodman said about Kang. "Having an owner that commits that much, you kind of are forced to work 10 times harder."
Investing in Science, Not Just Teams
Here's where Kang gets really interesting. She's not just buying teams and hoping for the best. She's investing in actual research to make women's soccer better.
In 2024, she pledged $30 million to U.S. Soccer. That's the biggest investment in women's programs in federation history. She wants dedicated research on female athletes – proper training methods, injury prevention, everything.
"Women are not small men," Kang points out. Using training methods designed for men doesn't work. Her Kynisca Innovation Hub merged with U.S. Soccer's program to develop science specifically for women's sports.
Kang made her fortune founding medical tech company Cognosante, which she sold in 2024. Forbes estimates her worth at $1.2 billion. She started with a minority stake in the Spirit in 2020, bought the whole team in 2022, then added Lyon and London City in 2023.
USWNT coach Emma Hayes can't say enough good things. "She's so passionate about women's football globally," Hayes said. "Her commitment to research and education is going to have a bigger impact on the broader game."
For fans and bettors following women's soccer, Kang's teams are worth watching closely. With her resources and commitment to innovation, the Spirit, Lyon, and Lionesses could become even stronger contenders in their respective leagues. That $30 million investment in player development might just reshape the entire women's game.
