Y. Michele Kang has officially become the Washington Spirit’s majority owner, becoming the first woman of color to hold a majority stake in a National Women’s Soccer League franchise, the team announced Wednesday morning.
The confirmation comes after Kang acquired the interests of former owners Bill Lynch and Steve Baldwin in February. It follows a months-long power struggle that began last summer when Kang first called upon Baldwin to give up control of the club amid allegations of abuse and mismanagement within the organization.
“Our players are the best of the best on and off the field,” Kang said in a statement Wednesday. “They deserve nothing less than a club that sets and achieves the high standards befitting these elite professional athletes. We dream big dreams here. Our ambition is to not only be the best women’s soccer team in the world but the best soccer team, period.”
