The Chicago Pink Stars are poised to be owned via a ordinary face on the town.

Chicago Cubs co-owner and Chicago Sky minority proprietor Laura Ricketts and a gaggle of Chicago businesswomen have reached an pledge to shop for Chicago’s NWSL squad, a Ricketts’ spokesperson shared on Tuesday. The phrases of the trade in are unknown and the sale nonetheless needs to be authorized via the NWSL’s Board of Governors. 

“I am honored to lead this group of Chicago business and civic leaders in our effort to purchase the Chicago Red Stars,” Ricketts mentioned in a remark. “Our respective backgrounds in professional sports, finance, turnaround management, commercial real estate, marketing and advertising, paired with our deep community ties, make for a powerful combination that will serve us well in our ultimate goal: building a championship organization on and off the pitch.

“Development a championship tradition starts with treating our gamers with the honor they deserve as ladies and athletes. We stay up for finishing this transaction in order that we will be able to start this untouched bankruptcy for the group and fanatics.”

The Ricketts-led group of Chicago businesswomen will succeed Arnim Whisler once the sale is approved.

The new ownership group is hoping to complete the sale by the end of August, according to the press release. In the wake of the Yates Report, the club is in the midst of its worst season on the pitch in nearly 10 years. The Red Stars currently sit in 11th on the NWSL table and are on pace to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2014. 

United States women’s national team starting goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, forward Mallory Swanson and defender Tierna Davidson are among some of the team’s top stars. However, Naeher has been away from the club for over a month due to playing in the Women’s World Cup, while Swanson has missed much of the season after tearing her left patella tendon in April. 

The sale of the Pink Stars comes because the NWSL is about to enlarge within the coming years. Two groups will likely be added in 2024 with San Francisco Bay Branch and Salt Pool Town, Utah being awarded franchises. The NWSL has additionally introduced plans so as to add two extra enlargement groups in 2026, with Boston reportedly already being tabbed as some of the towns that might deliver the league’s overall groups as much as 16.

“We wholeheartedly believe in and are excited about the future of the Red Stars and the NWSL,” Ricketts mentioned. “There is unprecedented fan growth in women’s soccer globally, and we want to be a part of building on that momentum here in Chicago.”

 

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