Alex Morgan rejoins Wave as minority investor

Alex Morgan is back with San Diego Wave FC. The club announced Morgan as a minority investor on Tuesday, a little more than eight months after retiring as a player.

“I want this club to be known for being extremely successful,” Morgan, who captained the team to two trophies, the 2023 Shield and 2024 Challenge Cup, said. “I want players to see this club as a place that they seek out and want to play (at). I want the fans to look at this as an exciting environment, and an organization and a team they want to get behind and stay behind. I want this club to be a reflection of this community that we live in and represent.”

Morgan’s professional career included stops in Western New York, Portland, and Orlando, plus a stint in Europe. She made San Diego her final stop when the Pride traded her ahead of the Wave’s inaugural season. A California native, she has laid down roots in San Diego and says she intends to raise her kids in the area.

“Alex has always fought to positively impact this game beyond the pitch,” Wave FC controlling owner Lauren Leitchman said. “She used her platform to lead, to advocate, and to build something meaningful in San Diego. Her decision to invest is not only a continuation of her leadership but also a reflection of her belief in what we are building.”

Much of Morgan’s career was spent in the spotlight for her on-field accolades. Among them was a key goal in Italy that was pivotal in the United States qualifying for the 2011 World Cup. In 2012, her goal at fabled Old Trafford lifted in the U.S. over Canada and into the Olympic gold medal match, which they won over Japan. Twice she was part of a domestic champion, the 2011 Western New York Flash in WPS and 2013 Thorns in NWSL’s maiden season.

But while Morgan let chippier personalities do more of the talking, she was always working behind the scenes for the betterment of the sport. That was never more evident than the fall of 2021 when she published an email response from then-NWSL commissioner Lisa Baird, telling Mana Shim there would be no further investigation of Paul Riley. That email ultimately led to Baird losing her job and an era of cultural reform for the league.

“The mission stays the same in continuing to uplift women and this team and the NWSL,” Morgan said.