A collective of women business and civic leaders led by Laura Ricketts has reached an agreement in principle to purchase the Chicago Red Stars, the group has announced.
Ricketts, who is the co-owner of MLB’s Chicago Cubs and the minority owner of the WNBA’s Chicago Sky, said in a statement that she is looking forward to taking over the NWSL franchise once the league’s Board of Governors gives its final approval.
“I am honored to lead this group of Chicago business and civic leaders in our effort to purchase the Chicago Red Stars,” said Ricketts. “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 reaching our ultimate goal: building a championship organization on and off the pitch.
“Building a championship culture begins with treating our players with the respect they deserve as women and athletes,” Ricketts added. “We look forward to completing this transaction so that we can begin this new chapter for the team and the fans.”
Ricketts also stated her desire to keep the team in Chicago.
“We wholeheartedly believe in and are excited about the future of the Red Stars and the NWSL,” said Ricketts. “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.”
Whisler’s controversial reign nears end
In December, Red Stars owner Arnim Whisler announced that he had begun the process of selling the team amid a host of controversies surrounding his handling of former coach Rory Dames.
Dames was forced to resign in 2021 after a Washington Post report detailed allegations of sexist comments, abusive conduct, and inappropriate relationships with players.
Whisler has been under fire after revelations from last year’s Yates report showed that he shielded Dames from accountability.
According to the Yates report, complaints against Dames were filed with U.S. Soccer and/or the NWSL in 2014, 2015, and 2018, but Whisler seemed uninterested in considering their merits. Whisler was also found to have never conducted a background check on Dames, and told investigators he never had reason to take action against Dames despite the allegations over the years.
The Red Stars Board of Directors voted in October to remove Whisler from his position as Chairman of the Board, while the team’s players released a coordinated statement calling on Whisler to sell the team.
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