Sha’Carri Richardson Makes Bold Miami Move as $160 Million Backing Fuels New Sporting Chapter

Olympic 100m silver medallist Sha’Carri Richardson is taking on a new challenge away from the track after joining a star-studded ownership group behind League One Volleyball’s (LOVB) newest franchise, LOVB Miami.

Richardson, one of the most recognisable names in American athletics, is part of an investment group led by basketball legend Lisa Leslie, with the pair heading a collection of athletes, entertainers and prominent business figures backing the 10th team in the rapidly expanding professional volleyball league, as reported by Sportico.

The move gives Richardson a new connection to the business side of professional sport while placing her alongside some of the biggest names from American athletics and team sports.

For Richardson, the venture comes as investment in women’s sport continues to gather momentum, with athletes increasingly moving beyond competing to take ownership stakes and influence the future direction of professional leagues.

The new LOVB Miami ownership group brings together an unusually broad mix of sporting and entertainment figures.

Alongside Richardson and Leslie are several NFL personalities with strong ties to Florida, including Pro Football Hall of Famer Champ Bailey, two-time Super Bowl champion Carlos Dunlap, New York Giants wide receiver Braxton Berrios and former NFL player and analyst Ryan Clark.

The group also has considerable volleyball experience. Former stars Aury Cruz, Phil Dalhausser and Tri Bourne are among those involved, bringing expertise from a sport that is at the heart of the new Miami franchise.

The celebrity contingent extends beyond sport, with Grammy-winning rapper Pusha T and digital creator Hannah Stocking also joining the ownership group.

Investors connected to the Charlotte Hornets, Tampa Bay Rays and North Carolina Courage are also part of the coalition, adding further experience from across professional sports.

Richardson’s involvement comes at a significant point in LOVB’s development. Founded in 2020 by Katlyn Gao, Kevin Wong and Peter Hirschmann, the organisation initially began as a grassroots volleyball initiative before developing into a professional league.

LOVB has raised $160 million in funding to date, attracting investment from major firms including Ares Management, Atwater Capital and Left Lane Capital.

The league has also attracted some of the biggest names in sport as investors, with basketball stars Kevin Durant, Candace Parker and Jayson Tatum, as well as skiing legend Lindsey Vonn, among those who have backed the organisation.

LOVB played its first professional season in 2025, initially launching with six teams based in Atlanta, Austin, Houston, Madison, Omaha and Salt Lake City.

The original franchises were league-operated, but that model has gradually changed as private ownership has entered the picture.

The Austin franchise, for example, was sold to an investment group featuring David Blitzer, Peter J. Holt and Amy Griffin.

The arrival of Richardson and Leslie at the helm of the Miami ownership group is another indication of the growing commercial appeal of women’s professional sport.

LOVB has expanded rapidly since its inaugural season, with Los Angeles, Minnesota and San Francisco joining the competition before Miami was announced as the league’s latest addition.

The Miami franchise is particularly significant because it represents LOVB’s first presence on the East Coast and will become South Florida’s only professional women’s sports team.

The team’s home arena has yet to be confirmed, but Miami is scheduled to begin competition during the 2026–27 LOVB season.

The league will also introduce a two-conference structure as its 10-team competition gets underway.

For Richardson, the Miami investment adds another dimension to a career that has already made her one of the defining figures in modern American sprinting.

Her involvement also reflects a broader shift in the way elite athletes are building their careers, with competition increasingly being complemented by opportunities in business, investment and sports ownership.

The wider financial landscape has been moving in the same direction. Deloitte has projected that women’s sports will generate more than $3 billion globally in 2026, highlighting the growing commercial opportunities across competitions that have traditionally received less investment.

LOVB’s franchise valuations also underline that growing interest. Although the terms of the Miami deal have not been publicly disclosed, previous team equity sales have reportedly been valued at around $20 million per franchise.

That puts LOVB in an increasingly competitive market alongside Major League Volleyball, another professional women’s volleyball competition that has attracted significant investment.