"We know that girls who play are women who lead," U.S. National Women's soccer star Brandi Chastain tellsas soon as our interview begins. It's a motto she and her fellow soccer legends, Leslie Osborne, Danielle Slaton, and Aly Wagner, keep at the forefront of conversations about women's sports. Together the four are part of a massive endeavor with Sixth Street Investment Firm to create a National Women's soccer team in the Bay Area of San Francisco.
It's one of the most significant investments in women's sports, and it comes at a time when the spotlight is only growing. According to thethe cost for the rights on the Bay Area franchise came in at about $125 million, with another $30 million to $50 million to go toward a training facility. "It's a huge investment, and that's an understatement," Brandi emphasizes. "This is something that we want to rival the top men's programs in the world, the top men's facilities in the world."
On the call with the entire group, Aly explains that this venture is, in part, a way to elevate women's sports generally. Right nowin sports goes to men's teams.
In a way, social media has democratized our access to players in all women's leagues, making them as big of stars as any highly publicized men’s team (the 2023