Thasunda Brown Duckett is taking her winning streak from the C-suite to the hardwood as the newest investor in the WNBA’s New York Liberty.
The groundbreaking move by the President and CEO of TIAA, reinforces her belief in the transformational power of sports and positions her as the only Black investor in Liberty’s newly expanded ownership group.
The high-powered investor lineup includes tech titan Jack Ma (founder of Alibaba), CNBC’s Karen Finerman, supermodel and entrepreneur Karlie Kloss, private equity executive Gabrielle Rubenstein, and philanthropist Samantha Lasry.
Their investment, pending WNBA Board of Governors approval, will fund the Liberty’s upcoming state-of-the-art practice facility in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.
The deal values the Liberty at $450 million, marking the highest-ever valuation for a professional women’s sports team, according to Front Office Sports.
It’s a seismic milestone in women’s sports—and Duckett’s presence at the table underscores the growing economic and cultural weight of Black women investors in major league spaces.
“We are pleased to welcome Jack, Karen, Thasunda, Karlie, Gabrielle, and Samantha to the New York Liberty family,” said Liberty Governor Clara Wu Tsai. “They bring exceptional achievements across tech, finance, and culture, and a shared commitment to advancing women’s sports.”
For Duckett, a former student-athlete, the investment is deeply personal. She credits sports with helping build the confidence and leadership that carried her from JPMorgan Chase, where she led both the Consumer Bank and Auto Finance divisions, to TIAA, where she has served as CEO since 2021. Under her leadership, she’s been named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People and inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
She also holds board positions at Nike and Brex, highlighting her unique ability to bridge sports, business, and cultural impact.
“This isn’t just an investment in basketball,” one sports analyst noted. “It’s an investment in visibility, legacy, and the next generation of women leaders—on and off the court.”
The Liberty’s momentum only sweetens the deal. Under General Manager Jonathan Kolb and CEO Keia Clarke, the team captured its first-ever WNBA championship, boasting a 32-8 record behind all-stars Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones, and Sabrina Ionescu.
Alternate Governor Joe Tsai praised the incoming investors, calling each a “fierce advocate for women across industries including sports.”
With this bold move, Duckett further cements her legacy as a celebrated corporate trailblazer and a game-changer for equity in sports ownership.
