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Do you know how to get to San Jose?
New competition and new partnerships
It was a great weekend for the California and California Women’s Sports action. First, Golden State Valkyries stood out from their inaugural season, hosting the Los Angeles Sparks for Friday night’s WNBA action at the Chase Center, and then Bay FC hosted the Angel City FC on Saturday in the NWSL.
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It's also a great weekend for those who love to see Pinterest's board and podcast feeds.
Any California sports game will automatically appoint Sacramento people like me to watch, but Saturday’s meeting between Bay FC and Angel City FC is bigger than usual.
This is the first game of Angel City's 20-year-old guard Savy King who collapsed in last week's home game, being taken to hospital when doctors found a heart abnormality in need of surgery.
King was the second pick last season and is now thankful for his recovery, seeing both teams wearing “SK3” shirts before the game.
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The California Derby won 2-0, marking the official launch of Unwell FC, a brand owned by Alex Cooper, the host of the "Call Her Dad".
Cooper told me in an email before the game that the company sold uncomfortable moisturizing drinks selling flavors, worked with NWSL, worked with existing supporters, and participated in the “deep interaction and strong sense of community” of their existing supporters, as Cooper told me in an email before the game.
To celebrate the launch, Unwell FC hosted a Pinterest-friendly activation featuring colorful Marquis, a photo booth and uncomfortable hydrated samples. People still have questions about how this partnership will get rid of it, but if you don’t meet in person in San Jose, know that Cooper plans to visit this “fan hype group” around the NWSL. If you have the ability, I encourage you to see what it means for yourself.
Active updates from Savy King
Please give 17-year-old Kimmi Ascanio a moment before we leave Golden State?
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Ascanio has had another teenage sensation, with the San Diego Wave starting every game this season, and her team beat Gotham FC 1-0 on Friday before winning the game in a lively crowd at Sports Illustrated Stadium in New Jersey. Look at yourself.
It's safe to say that Ascanio has just started as she's taking on her own target scoring role. Her goal on Friday is her third place in four games. That's not bad for someone who celebrated their first NWSL goal 22 days ago.
Many people look at unwell football clubs this weekend at the Bay for the first time, after all, this actually proves to be a very standard activation – as marketing says.
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First, some honors: tickets for the unwell soccer club section are super affordable (about $30 when I look), and more partnerships should be built to keep most people at a reasonable level. If this is proposed, there is a promotional jersey and free drinks and the whole thing will fly out more under the radar.
I still doubt Cooper's influence will affect her audience watching NWSL or buying tickets. Having spent quite a while in the past few NWSL championship fan zones, the NWSL's open business era is already here. Plus another brand partnership that might appeal to different audiences feels less than positioning an uncomfortable football club as a group of league supporters, although it still points to the priority of Berman and NWSL front desks continuing to prioritize business on-site for business.
However, this game will be consistent with me, but: Berman wears an uncomfortable FC shirt, posing in various areas with Cooper, while players from both teams enter the court in a "SK3" shirt to pay tribute to King. At least the priority of both parties is clear.
Benefit for the business
The club made headlines on the stadium just days before Chelsea lifted another FA Cup at Wembley (their sixth time).
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Reddit co-founder and venture capitalist Goat Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian bought an 8% stake in Chelsea women for $32.4 million. The deal values the team's approximately $326 million (£245 million) and will make Chelsea the most valuable women's football club in the world.
Ohanian, Williams and their daughter Alexis Olympia, are also Angel City investors, and were part of Wembley's 74,412 on Sunday to watch Chelsea Cruise beat United 3-0.
But it's not just a tech tycoon who supports women's football. Last week, Alex Morgan also rejoined the San Diego Wave - this time on the board.
She is the latest former NWSL player to join the growing list of USWNT alumni who put money and muscle into the league they helped build.
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It looks like the former player is just out of loyalty to support the NWSL. But the numbers tell a different story.
When Angel City Football Club and San Diego Inspur joined the league in 2022, the expansion fee was only $2 million.
Fast forward: Last summer, Angel City was worth $250 million, and Ron Burkle sold the waves to the Levine Leichtman family office for $113 million last fall.
That's not just emotion, it's smart money.
The new look of Lyon
Club owner Michele Kang has renamed the historically successful Lyonnais woman Ol Lyonnes.
The change was announced today as a move further showing independence from the men's team, which is no longer relevant. It could also be the move of Kang's growing team portfolio, which includes the Washington Spirit and another Lion-themed club: the London City Lioness, who won the Women's Premier League promotion earlier this month.
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Ol Lyonnes is the most successful women's soccer team in the world - also unveiled a new badge (see here). The announcement also includes:
Building a custom performance center designed specifically for female athletes, Kang said, will set new global standards.
Starting next season, the Home Home competition at Groupama Stadium is a 59,186-seat venue.
We are loyal fans of color, but are Lyonian lions? Too many?
Champions League Finals
📺Barcelona and Arsenal
The European season finale will be held on Saturday when Barcelona dominated champion Arsenal, who remained the only British women's team to win the trophy with a 2007 victory. It's a weak situation for the Gunners, but what Renée Slegers did with only half a season of responsibility was absolutely impressive.
She is back: Obviously, retirement means different from the sixth-year World Player Marta. Despite her previous announcement of her international retirement, the 39-year-old was called to the Brazilian national team last week.
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The story of two owners: Although Alexis Ohanian was the striker and center of Saturday's FA Cup champion, Manchester United's Sir Jim Ratcliffe was not found.
Throw (outside) suitable for: North Carolina courage forward Jaedyn Shaw brought her pre-match walk to her runway, bringing her Vietnamese legacy and football matches together with a custom ÁoDai. It's the perfect look for any match day, but it's especially intoxicating, like the May is Asian and Pacific Heritage Month.
📫Full-time love? These stories can also be found in Yahoo’s Women’s Sports Hub and can also be collaborated with our other newsletters.
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This article first appeared in sports.
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