Sabrina Ionescu Joins Bay FC: A New Era for Women’s Sports

This has been an amazing summer for Sabrina Ionescu.

The 2nd team All-WNBA point guard, fresh off her 2024 WNBA championship with the New York Liberty, is making headlines again. Ionescu is joining the Bay FC, the Bay Area’s National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) franchise. She will be joining their ranks as an investor.

 

“I am excited to join Bay FC as an investor and commercial advisor for the latest NWSL team. I have full faith in the Club’s vision and its potential to make a profound impact within and beyond women’s soccer. 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.”

For Ionescu, she has ties to the community. The star guard was born in Walnut Creek and raised in Orinda, California; the Bay Area is her home.

Serving in her new role, she’ll help shape Bay FC’s commercial and marketing strategies. Ionescu will be leveraging her own experiences, as she herself is one of the most marketable athletes in the world. Ionescu has racked up major endorsements in her playing career.

Ionescu’s the first women’s basketball player to have a unisex signature collection with Nike. Her signature shoe, the Sabrina 1, debuted in 2023 and has become one of the most popular sneaker lines to date. The Sabrina 2, this season, became the most-worn basketball shoe in the NBA in 2024. Additionally, her endorsements also include major brands like Body Armor, Fanatics, and Michelob Ultra.

 

“I want it to be more than just transactional. 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.”

With her experience with Nike, Ionescu has already expressed interest in collaborating with the sports brand. She expressed that she wants Nike to create cleats for Bay FC players. This would fall in line with the partnerships she’s fostered with NFL and MLB athletes.

Bay FC CEO Brady Stewart couldn’t be more thrilled to have Ionescu on board.

 

“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. Her roots in the Bay Area and commitment to being a catalyst for positive change in women’s sports represents who we are at Bay FC.”

The move signals another big moment for women’s athletics.

The Bay Area has now become a hotbed for women’s athletics. The new addition of the Golden State Valkyries, the WNBA’s first expansion team since 2008, has brought life back to the city. Now, Bay FC’s rise in the NWSL will help continue that momentum.

 

“It hasn’t happened overnight for us. It’s been years and years of athletes kicking down the door, voicing what it is that 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.”

The club, co-founded by USWNT legends Brandi Chastain, Leslie Osborne, Danielle Slaton, and Aly Wagner, is already making waves as a trailblazer in women’s soccer. With Ionescu’s star power and business savvy, they’re poised to become a global sports powerhouse.

As the 2025 NWSL season approaches, Bay FC fans have plenty to be excited about. Season tickets are on sale, and with Ionescu in their corner, the club is ready to take women’s soccer to new heights.

This isn’t just about soccer or basketball—it’s about the future of women’s sports. And with Sabrina Ionescu leading the charge, the possibilities are endless.