Angel City: National Women's Soccer League team to play in LA in 2022

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The National Women's Soccer League on Tuesday announced that a majority woman-founded group led by Natalie Portman and Serena Williams has secured the rights to bring a professional women's soccer team to Los Angeles to kick off in the spring of 2022.

While the team's official name and venue partner are expected to be announced before the end of the year, the group has officially branded itself "Angel City" in honor of its planned home in Los Angeles, the league said in a statement.

"Today we take an exciting step by announcing the first women majority-owned and led ownership group,'' said Portman, who praised her investment partners. "I am thrilled by the opportunity to partner with this incredible group of people to bring a professional women's soccer team to Los Angeles. Together, we aim to build not only a winning team on the field, but also to develop a passionately loyal fan base.''

Led by media and gaming entrepreneur Julie Uhrman, the consortium president, the founding investor group includes Serena Williams and her toddler daughter, Alexis; actors Uzo Aduba, Jessica Chastain, America Ferrera, Jennifer Garner, and Eva Longoria; late night talk show host Lilly Singh; and former U.S. Women's National Team players Julie Foudy, Mia Hamm.

"We wanted to see the best women athletes playing the global sport here in L.A. where we know we have an incredible fan base that would support it," Uhrman said.

Uhrman said the founding group had formed a partnership with the LA84 Foundation "to help us build out our community relations foundation from the very start.'' The foundation is a nonprofit institution created by the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee to manage Southern California's endowment from the 1984 Olympic Games.