Y. Michele Kang is buying out fellow Washington Spirit owners Steve Baldwin and Bill Lynch, positioning her as the controlling owner of the National Women’s Soccer League franchise.
Terms of the deal — which was shared with players during Tuesday’s practice — were not disclosed as part of the team’s announcement.
The sale brings resolution to a contentious tangle over ownership that followed the firing of former coach Richie Burke over accusations that he verbally and emotionally abused players. An investigation by the NWSL revealed the team and ownership “failed to act in the best interests of the league” — and the league subsequently sanctioned the team. Baldwin said he would step down as CEO and managing partner and pursue a sale.
Kang, co-founder and CEO of Falls Church tech firm Cognosante LLC and a Spirit co-owner since December 2020, sought to take control of the team after the allegations against Burke arose in the summer of 2021. The team’s players, who won the league…
Read the full story from the Washington Business Journal.
