New York Giants legend Eli Manning and Suns superstar Kevin Durant invested in the NWSL’s Gotham FC before Patrick Mahomes became KC Current’s minority owner. Manning is immensely proud of being an NWSL side’s owner because the league and other competitions, such as the NCAA Women’s Basketball, provide more exposure to women in sports. Besides, the former Giants QB’s interest in Gotham FC and Caitlin Clark’s NCAA heroics have helped his daughters learn it is inspiring to be a woman athlete.

In his appearance on ESPN’s Sports Center episode, Eli Manning detailed his decision to invest in Gotham FC. Manning described that his three daughters cared less for NFL superstars. Rather, they were highly enthusiastic about women athletes and their progress. So, the 2x Super Bowl champ decided to splurge on Gotham FC, which played in his ‘backyard’ in New Jersey. 

Eli Manning lauds Caitlin Clark and NWSL’s profound influence on rising women athletes

Eli Manning’s daughters are into soccer. With his investment in the 2023 NWSL Champions, Manning ensures his girls learn from the best. “To have that access to be around these girls. To bring my daughters to meet them. And watch them and be around athletes. To see that it’s cool to be an athlete and play sports and be a girl and all the access now and exposure that these women athletes are getting,” said Eli Manning in the Sports Center episode.

He added, “Whether it is college basketball that went around this weekend with Caitlin Clark to the new deal with the NWSL with ESPN. So more and more, these girls are getting exposure watching them.”

Notably, Caitlin Clark concluded her final NCAA season as the competition’s all-time leading scorer with 3,951 points. Last day, the Iowa Hawkeyes women’s team announced they would retire Clark’s jersey. Speaking of the NWSL’s ESPN deal that Manning referred to, the league signed a mega $240 million four-year deal to broadcast matches across ESPN, CBS, Prime Video, and Scripps. Fresh off this ground-breaking deal, the NWSL season kick-started with a stellar NWSL Challenge Cup tie between San Diego Wave and Gotham FC.

Thanks to Alex Morgan’s decisive goal, the Wave triumphantly claimed the sought-after trophy. The likes of Morgan powering a win at this age are an immense inspiration for young NWSL stars and potential pro players such as Manning’s children. After lauding the NWSL and the Iowa legend, Manning revealed the experience of watching women’s sports with his daughters.

Eli Manning’s daughters follow suit to imitate top women’s athletes

As Manning puts it, he and his daughters have their eyes glued to the TV screen whenever a heavyweight women’s game happens. He added that his daughters also loved to go to watch college basketball games live. He said his children would often imitate Caitlin Clark’s movements. The veteran Giants QB is pleased that his children are trying to emulate the best women athletes. He recalled him and his NFL legend brother Peyton Manning, imitating their heroes of the day. Moreover, his investment in Gotham FC helps!

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The 43-year-old’s investment in Gotham FC has gone for the best since last year. Firstly, they won their maiden NWSL ring in 2023. And now, the NJ/NY-based outfit is doing record attendance numbers in the league’s history. Therefore, from helping his daughters strive for greatness to expanding his fortune with Gotham’s on and off-the-field successes, life has come full circle for Manning with the NWSL investment.

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