Washington Spirit Background Kang had little knowledge of football before she entered into club ownership. She had played football and volleyball in her college days, but tennis became her favorite sport. Kang attended the formal celebration on
Capitol Hill; it was only then and there that she came to learn the nature of women's football and the existence of the football club, the Washington Spirit. She was invited to the celebration by
Tom Daschle, a board member at Cognosante and former Democratic senator. Daschle introduced her to Steve Baldwin, the managing owner of the
Washington Spirit. Baldwin immediately won her over to join the club ownership group. Kang later said "When I met the team after the World Cup, I knew I wanted to help lead this club. I believe it is essential for successful women to take the lead in advancing other women, and I look forward to doing so for the women of the Washington Spirit."
Acquisition of the Spirit On 29 December 2020, the Spirit announced that Kang had joined the club's ownership group. Later reports confirmed that she had a 35 percent stake in the team, equal to former majority owner Steve Baldwin's stake, though Baldwin retained control over the team. Following Spirit coach
Richie Burke removing himself from coaching duties in August 2021 and subsequent media reports
alleging abusive behavior by Burke toward players, Kang began pursuing majority and controlling ownership of the club. After a protracted negotiation process, Baldwin and minority owner Bill Lynch agreed to sell the club to Kang. She became the first
woman of color to be the majority owner of an NWSL club. On 24 May 2023, Kang's acquisition of the Spirit was named the
Sports Business Journal 2023 'Deal of the Year'.
OL Lyonnes By the time Kang joined the OL Groupe in 2023, Olympique Lyonnais Féminin had been known as the "most successful team in Europe," having won 15 domestic (
Première Ligue) and 8 European (
UEFA Women's Champions League) titles. When Kang disclosed on 12 April 2023 her plan to buy the team, the club publicly denied such move. The next day, the team won the
Coupe de France féminine 2–1 over
Paris Saint-Germain, its 10th victory in the competition, on a brace by
Ada Hegerberg. Kang attended the match and raised the trophy with Lyon. On 16 May 2023, Kang announced the formal agreement with OL Groupe for the acquisition of Olympique Lyonnais Féminin. She would form a separate entity (later named Kynisca The transaction was approved by regulators in February 2024. She explained that
y was used in place of
i to retain reference to the city, and the parent club, A new logo was also introduced which shows the head part of a roaring red lioness with blue and gold accents, and a crest above it.
London City Lionesses London City Lionesses was formed in 2019 as an independent women's football club and competed in the
Women's Championship, the second-highest division of
women's football in England. It was owned by entrepreneurs Anthony and Diane Culligan, with Diane serving as chairwoman and running the club's operations. In June 2023, all the club's players sent a collective message to owner Diane Culligan asking her to sell the club or raise additional investment, citing financial instability, a lack of players signed for the upcoming season, and the lack of a permanent manager. On 15 December 2023, the Lionesses announced that Kang had acquired the club for an undisclosed price. Following the purchase, the Lionesses hired
Jocelyn Prêcheur (formerly of
Paris St Germain) as its coach, moved the club to
Hayes Lane in
Bromley, and announced plans for a dedicated training center at
Aylesford in
Kent. They finished the
2023–24 season in eighth position. The club's opening match of the
2024–25 Women's Championship, a 1–1 draw against
Newcastle United W.F.C., drew a club-record 1,781 attendees. Experienced players were recruited, including
Kosovare Asllani, captain of
Sweden's national team,
Sofia Jakobsson, and
Saki Kumagai, captain of
Japan's national team. On 4 May 2025, the Lionesses got a point in a 2–2 draw against
Birmingham City which secured them at the top of the 2024–25 table, earning promotion to the
Women's Super League, the top tier in English football. Kang carried the trophy and celebrated with the players on the pitch as the team became the first independent (not affiliated with men's teams) club to compete in WSL. She said:As an independent team, to accomplish this in one year, is proof that with proper investment and resources anything is possible. This is proof, we are only going up. In September 2025, planning approval was granted for a new training and performance complex in
Ditton, Kent, for the
London City Lionesses under Michele Kang's ownership. The project will transform the club's 28-acre Cobdown Park site into a world-class Cobdown Performance Center, featuring a dedicated first-team base, upgraded academy infrastructure, a community-level 3G pitch, and new facilities such as modern changing rooms and medical space. Construction is expected to begin in 2026, with an opening planned for 2027. The development is also projected to create over 50 permanent jobs and inject more than £1 million annually into the local
Kent economy.
Kang Women's Institute On 2 December 2025, Kang launched the Kang Women's Institute in partnership with the Soccer Forward foundation of the
United States Soccer Federation. The primary objective of the institute is for a systematic study on the needs of female athletes and working in collaboration with the NWSL and the
United Soccer League. Research into women's welfare and health issues are started in collaboration with the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and
Duke University. Kang committed $55 million for the project, $25 million will be for the management of the institute and $30 million will be distributed for youth sports, coaching development, and player pathways. == Philanthropy ==