"I said what I said" - Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian after Angel City FC exceeds franchise targets during first season
Serena Williams and her husband Alexis Ohanian are part of the group who invested in Angel City FC, which is part of the National Women's Soccer League.
The club, which began competing in the 2022 season, has already attained several goals in terms of ticket sales, attendance figures, and sponsorship revenue.
Ohanian's assertive "I said what I said" tweet revealed his joy as he shed light on what propelled him to invest in women's soccer and how it was the women who kept the American flag flying high in the world's most popular sport.
The venture capitalist also recalled the USA's historic win in the 1999 Women's World Cup when Brandi Chastain's penalty saw the hosts triumph 5-4 against China after regulation time had failed to break the goalless deadlock.
I said what I said
@weareangelcity twitter.com/Hochberg/statu… https://t.co/WGqNbPC9fm
"What I saw on that pitch, and as I had a few drinks later that night and started rage tweeting, I realized this was the most obvious, best sports investment I could make right now. It was so obviously undervalued. Because when we think of American soccer excellence, we think of the women. We think of all the stars. We think of (Brandi) Chastain and 1999 with that penalty kick," Ohanian stated.
"Think of what a big deal it is. In the American psyche, we love greatness in sports and when we think of soccer, the most popular sport in the world, it's women who have carried the crown for us and now we're giving them the stage we deserve and they are living up," he added.
Angel City FC, who had aimed to to be able to sell 5,000 season tickets in their inaugural season, sold nearly 16,000 while average attendance figures at the Banc of California Stadium averaged 19,000 when the owners had hoped to fill 8,000 to 10,000 seats.
The new club managed to rake in $11 million in sponsorship revenue, exceeding its target of $3 million.
Actresses Natalie Portman, Jennifer Garner, Eva Longoria, Jessica Chastain, Gabrielle Union, and athletes Candace Parker and Lindsey Vonn are some of the other celebrity women investors who have thrown their weight behind the ambitious franchise.
Serena Williams continues to enthrall fans after evolving away from tennis
Serena WIlliams played her final match against Ajla Tomljanovic at the 2022 US Open.
Williams had earlier announced that she planned to evolve away from the sport after the New York Major, much to the disappointment of her fans. The 41-year-old has, however, managed to engage her fans in a variety of ways even after hanging up her racquet.
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The 23-time Grand Slam champion recently authored a children's book called the The Adventures of Qai Qai, which highlights the importance of confidence and friendship among kids.