New York Liberty star and 2024 WNBA champion Sabrina Ionescu is expanding her influence in professional sports, joining NWSL club Bay FC as an investor and “official commercial advisor,” the club announced Monday.

Ionescu sees this as more than a financial opportunity, emphasizing the importance of direct involvement in the club’s growth.

“I whole-heartedly understand how important investment really is and obviously you can talk about it and be about it, but you really have to want to be committed to it and invest to be able to see what you believe in come to light,” Ionescu said, as reported by Kendra Andrews of ESPN.

The Liberty guard had been interested in getting involved with Bay FC since the franchise launched in 2024. Initial discussions revolved around financial investment, but she soon sought a larger role within the organization. As a commercial advisor, Ionescu will help shape marketing and brand partnership strategies for the club.

“That was a big part of it for me — I want to invest, but I want it to be more than just transactional,” Ionescu said. “I want to grow my relationship with the team and the players and be able to bring in the relationships that I have and what I've learned on the business side of things to help with their overall brand partnership strategy.”

Ionescu has experience with brand collaborations, becoming the first women’s basketball player to release a unisex signature collection with Nike. She now hopes to expand that relationship to provide cleats for Bay FC and other NWSL teams, similar to deals she helped facilitate for NFL and MLB athletes.

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Bay FC CEO Brady Stewart praised Ionescu’s addition to the organization, highlighting her forward-thinking approach.

“Sabrina is the ultimate innovator and creates new pathways for aspiring and current professional athletes,” Stewart said in a statement. “Adding her passion and vision to what we are building at Bay FC will allow us to further disrupt the sports landscape.”

Ionescu sees parallels between the rise of the WNBA and the current growth of women’s soccer in the U.S. She believes investment is key to fostering long-term success at the club level.

“It hasn't happened overnight for us,” Ionescu said. “It's taken investment, and now expansion. But to see it now in real-time —viewership, attendance, sponsorships — everything is at an all-time high. And you see it across different sports … Soccer is a big one. Especially Bay FC.”