Washington Spirit Owner Michele Kang on Momentum in Women’s Sports as Team Preps for NWSL Championship: ‘You Can Feel the Change’

variety.com:

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor Washington Spirt owner Michele Kang won’t be suiting up to play in the National Women’s Soccer League championship game on Saturday, but she has surely helped her team score some goals as the league’s 12th season comes to a close.

Kang is the founder and CEO of health care technology firm Cognosante and an active philanthropist. She acquired the Washington Spirit team in 2021, the year the D.C.-based squad won the NWSL championship for the first time.

Kang’s timing was good. The Washington Spirit are well-positioned for major growth as the team and the NWSL capitalize on the wave of interest in women’s sports that coalesced last spring around the NCAA women’s basketball tournament.

Spirit star Trinity Rodman was a big star for Team USA at the Paris Summer Olympic Games. The WNBA, NWSL and other sports leagues have seen an uptick in ticket sales, sponsorship deals and general media interest, which advocates hope will be the fuel to make women’s leagues more prominent in the general sports landscape.