Six-time NBA All-Star Jimmy Butler is hitting the NWSL pitch, with the Golden State Warriors forward joining the San Diego Wave as a minority investor this week.
"Soccer has been a passion of mine for a long time, and being part of the game in a meaningful way has always been a dream," Butler said in the club's Monday press release. "San Diego has become a city close to my heart, and I'm proud to invest in a club that is pushing boundaries, building something lasting, and setting a new standard for what women's sports can be both on and off the pitch."
Butler joins retired San Diego Wave star Alex Morgan in an ownership group led by the Levine Leichtman family, after the majority owners purchased the California club at a then-record $113 million valuation in 2024.
"Jimmy is a competitor and visionary who shares our values and our ambition to grow this club," said San Diego controlling owner Lauren Leichtman. "He brings a global perspective, a deep respect for the athlete's journey, and a creative spirit that perfectly complements what we are building here at Wave FC."
Butler isn't the only high-profile men's sports athlete anteing up for the NWSL in recent months, with the NBA star following in the footsteps of NFL quarterback Caleb Williams — who invested in 2026 expansion side Boston Legacy FC — and LA Clippers forward Chris Paul, who joined Angel City's star-studded ownership group.
Former San Diego Wave president Jill Ellis is back in the headlines, with the NWSL club's owners — private equity billionaire couple Lauren Leichtman and Arthur Levine — filing a lawsuit against Ellis on Monday for allegedly promising to stay on after the team's 2024 sale, only to resign days later in order to accept a new job as FIFA's Chief Football Officer.
According to the lawsuit, Ellis leveraged her longstanding friendship with Leichtman and Levine to convince them to purchase the San Diego Wave at a then-record price of $120 million, with the Levine Leichtman Family Office calling Ellis "a very attractive asset" that helped push the deal — and its nine-figure sticker price — across the line.
Though Ellis and other negotiators allegedly assured Leichtman and Levine that she would helm the NWSL club "for many years to come," Ellis resigned just two days after the sale closed, reportedly telling the new owners that she had "no intention of continuing any involvement with Wave FC."
Monday's court filing claims that Ellis and other unnamed defendants committed intentional misrepresentation, negligent misrepresentation, concealment, and false promise, and requests damages as Ellis's departure allegedly resulted in an estimated $40 million in lost revenue.
Ellis's attorney deemed the suit "meritless," calling it retaliation for the former USWNT manager's ongoing pursuit of $1.2 million in deferred payments reportedly guaranteed by her original contract with the San Diego Wave.
As for the team, the NWSL club is staying out of it, releasing a statement saying, "This is a legal matter between the Levine Leichtman Family Office and Jill Ellis. San Diego Wave FC is not a party to this lawsuit."
US soccer legend Alex Morgan is back in the game, becoming a minority owner of her former NWSL club by investing in the San Diego Wave FC on Tuesday.
One of the 2022 expansion side's first signings, Morgan captained the Wave to their 2023 NWSL Shield win before retiring in September 2024 as the team's all-time leader in both goals (28) and assists (11).
"San Diego is where I've built my home, where I am raising my children, and found a purpose beyond my playing career," Morgan said in a club statement. "I believed in Wave FC before a single match was played, and I still believe this club has the power to change the future of women's sports."
Morgan joins an ownership group led by the Leichtman-Levine family. The Leichtmans purchased the team from founding owner Ron Burkle at a reported $113 million valuation last year.
"Alex has always fought to positively impact this game beyond the pitch," said Wave FC controlling owner Lauren Leichtman. "Her decision to invest is not only a continuation of her leadership but also a reflection of her belief in what we are building."
The two-time World Cup champion appears to be making good on her desire to shape the women's sports landscape after hanging up her boots, also buying into Unrivaled 3×3 Basketball ahead of the league's early 2025 debut.
"I was on board [with Unrivaled] from day one," Morgan told Boardroom in January. "Fans want to see what a player's personality is and who they vibe with, what drives them, and I think that being able to mesh that with competition, it already [is] a home run here with Unrivaled. So it would be really exciting to do something with other women's sports as well."