The legend of women’s soccer, Alex Morgan, two-time world champion and Olympic medalist, has taken a significant step off the field by becoming a minority investor in the San Diego Wave FC of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL).
Morgan, who led the team to the NWSL Shield in 2023, has concluded her extensive professional and international career with the San Diego club.
“San Diego is where I have built my home, where I am raising my children and have found a purpose beyond my career as a player. I believed in Wave FC before a single match was played, and I continue to believe that this club has the power to change the future of women’s sports. I am proud to invest in that future, not only as a player, but now as an investor,” Morgan stated.
Alex Morgan
At 35 years old, Morgan resides in the San Diego area with her family and recently gave birth to her second child.
She was one of the first players to sign for Wave, which debuted in the 2022 season. That same year, she achieved her best season as a professional, scoring 16 goals and winning the Golden Boot. This outstanding campaign in the NWSL revitalized her career in the United States women’s national team, preparing her for the 2023 World Cup.
Morgan retired as the fifth all-time leading scorer in USWNT history, with 123 goals in 224 appearances.
She is already an investor in Unrivaled, the 3-on-3 women’s professional basketball league that debuted this year. Conversations about her investment in the Wave began last year.
“I’ve always looked ahead. Even when I was playing, I was always thinking about what I would do next, what else I could do besides what I was already doing, and how I could start building things before it was really too late. That’s when I started to concretize my investment in the San Diego Wave and wanting to do this immediately after hanging up my boots,” Morgan explained.
Alex Morgan
Morgan joins the Wave’s majority owners, the Leichtman-Levine family, who acquired the club last year in a two-part deal that valued the club between $113 and $120 million, a record in the NWSL at the time. The Wave joined the league for approximately $2 million. A Wave spokesperson declined to reveal the amount of Morgan’s equity stake in the team, as did the other minority investors.
Monarch Collective, a private equity firm led by Kara Nortman, also invests in the Wave, in addition to NWSL clubs Angel City FC and Boston Legacy FC.
“Alex has always strived to positively impact this game beyond the field. She used her platform to lead, advocate, and build something meaningful in San Diego. Her decision to invest is not only a continuation of her leadership, but also a reflection of her belief in what we are building,” stated Lauren Leichtman, majority owner of San Diego Wave FC.
Lauren Leichtman
Morgan has been a staunch advocate for player safety and, in the later years of her career, used her global platform to help protect her teammates.
Last year, she publicly expressed her “disappointment” upon learning of the accusations from former Wave employees about the creation of a toxic work environment at the club. “I want to be proud of what we are building at Wave, but it’s clear there is a lot of work to be done,” she wrote in a social media post in July.
The Wave and the NWSL are currently being sued by six former employees for allegations including sexual harassment, retaliation, and wrongful termination.
“I want this club to be known for being extremely successful. I want the players to see this club as a place to aspire to, that they want to play in. I want the fans to see it as an exciting environment, and as an organization and a team they want to keep supporting. And I want this club to be a reflection of the community we live in and represent,” Morgan said.
Alex Morgan
Morgan joins a growing list of former players who are investing in the league.
Lauren Holiday, Morgan’s teammate on the USWNT in the 2012 Olympic gold medal-winning team and the 2015 World Cup-winning team, recently invested in the North Carolina Courage.
