The New York Liberty evaluation exerts the WNBA owner under pressure, invest

Chicago – The news that the New York Liberty has an assessment of $ 450 million, a record for a women’s sports team, is not just an occasion to celebrate.

It is a warning.

The days of treating women’s teams such as charity projects, in which the owners believe that they can operate their franchise companies cheaply, are over. You can either invest, as the Clara Wu Tsai from Liberty and the husband Joe Tsai have, or they will remain.

That should have been clear after the Chicago Sky lost pretty much the entire championship team in 2021 against the free agency. Or from the mass exodus from the Connecticut sun in the past season.

If this was not the case and we are right away, the freedom assessment makes it clear. With fireworks and booming lights no less.

According to athletic, Liberty recently sold part of the team to investors in a deal that estimated the franchise with $ 450 million. This not only makes the defending champion the most valuable women franchise in the world, it is also more than twice a rating of 208 million US dollars for the Dallas Wings a year ago.

“I’ve been in this league for a long time and it’s just great to see the development,” said Liberty coach Sandy Brondello against the sky before the game on Monday evening.

“Everyone urges excellence and starts at the top. It starts with the possession,” she said. “We have the best owners in the WNBA and they will continue to urge us to continue growing, growing ourselves and together as a league.”

This is not just a case in which freedom is a New York team or has a list of stars. As soon as Wu Tsai has relegated to the suburb of West Chesters County, he described freedom as “desperate capital” when she and her husband bought it in 2019.

But they invested. Fast and deep. They moved the team to Brooklyn. Gave the team first -class facilities in the Barclays Center. Create a mascot, Ellie the elephant, which itself has become a phenomenon in social media – and money earner.

It was the movements that attracted the big names like MVPS Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones. The sponsors followed in droves. Liberty Mutual. Rihanna’s beauty. Essie. And again and again it works.

“It is proof of the investment,” said Natasha Cloud, who came to freedom in a trade outside of the season. “If you invest as our owners like our front office like our employees, this (evaluation) number is clearly a reason why.

“We talk about it when we invest in women’s sports,” added Cloud. “It is not only enough to support here. You also have to put your money in so that we can continue to rise. The demand was never higher.”

This is where the warning part comes into play.

The players know their value. You always knew it, but now that you know others, you won’t be less satisfied. The intelligent owners know why we saw how the facilities accelerated the arms arms so quickly.

But there are still teams that step water. Yes, Los Angeles Sparks, Chicago Sky, Washington Mystics and Connecticut Sun, that means.

Heaven announced plans last year to build its own practice system – not near the city, mind you – and even a groundbreaking ceremony. But now it has been delayed by six months. That means fewer near the city.

And although the sky said they wanted to see their 20^TH The season with an anniversary logo “On the square on the square, in Asarena, digital, content and merch assets” was the logo on Thursday evening in front of the Wintrust Arena farm.

These things sneak up to you, I think.

Connecticut at least recognized his inability to keep up, and Sportico reported two weeks ago that the Mohegan Sun hired an investment company to explore the franchise.

There is money to earn in women’s sports. A lot of money when the new offer of 2 billion US dollars starts next year. But as in all companies, they have to spend money to make money.

Owners who cannot or not are attentive.

Follow the USA Today Sports Columnist Nancy Armor on social media @Nrarmour.

(Tagstotranslate) WNBA (T) York (T) Liberty (T) Chicago (T) Sky (T) Sports (T) Basketball (T) Natasha (T) Breanna (T) Jonquel (T) Jones (T) Dallas (T) Connecticut (T) Sun

The New York Liberty evaluation exerts the WNBA owner under pressure, invest

ByAmelia Journalton

By Amelia Journalton

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