Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian gives shoutout to Golden State Valkyries president highlighting giveback program

By Juan Paolo David

Modified Aug 08, 2024 06:19 GMT

Billionaire internet entrepreneur and investor Alexis Ohanian has nothing but praise for Golden State Valkyries team president Jess Smith. He praised Smith's work as the chief business officer with Angel City FC of the National Women's Soccer League.

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Ohanian gave a shoutout to Smith and her work for Angel City FC. The Reddit co-founder is also one of many owners of the soccer club and is also the husband of tennis legend Serena Williams.

"Shoutout @wnbagoldenstate @gametimejess who structured the 10% giveback program for us @weareangelcity that we evolved for @WeAreLAGC and now @athlos," Ohanian tweeted.

According to PR Newswire, the 10% giveback program was started by Angel City FC in 2022, where they take 10% of their sponsorship money and give it back to the community. It started first with Klarna before DoorDash took over as the main sponsor.

Angel City FC's deal with DoorDash was reportedly a three-year, $2 million deal. It was the largest jersey sponsorship deal in NWSL history. Jess Smith was at the forefront of the project, and she will likely do the same thing with the Golden State Valkyries.

Smith was appointed the team president in January. She's tasked to bring her acumen from running Angel City FC to the Bay Area and help establish the Valkyries brand. She said in a statement:

"It is an incredible opportunity to build a WNBA team with the backing of Joe Lacob and Peter Guber and the commitment from the Warriors’ Executive Team, led by Brandon Schneider. Women's sports fans demand—and deserve—authenticity and a commitment to greatness, two characteristics that the Warriors organization has strongly demonstrated.

"That is what attracted me to this role. The team’s significant initial investment in the WNBA is just a preview of what’s to come for sports fans in the Bay Area and around the world."

Apart from her work with Angel City FC, Jess Smith also had stints with other sports teams before joining the Golden State Valkyries. She worked for the San Jose Earthquakes in the MLS, Colombus Blue Jackets in the NHL and Oakland Athletics in the MLB.

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Golden State Valkyries still need a coach and roster

The Golden State Valkyries quickly filled out the business side of the franchise when they hired Jess Smith in January. They then signed Ohemaa Nyanin three months ago to serve as general manager, who's tasked to build the team for their WNBA debut season next year.

Nyanin is expected to hire a coach before the franchise starts building a roster. They will have an expansion draft this December and will also have a pick in the upcoming WNBA draft. It's unclear if they will be in the lottery or be awarded a mid-round pick by the league office.