$26.7B Chinese internet tycoon and more business powerhouses announced as New York Liberty’s investors

The New York Liberty have landed their newest round of investors, with the biggest name in the lot being a Chinese internet tycoon. The WNBA is in a crucial growth phase, which has brought in loads of investors and deals in the league.

The teams have also directly benefited from the league's growth. On Tuesday, Sara Jane Gamelli from BallisLife reported on the newest wave of investors joining the Liberty family.

Chinese businessman Jack Ma is the biggest name on the six-person list, which includes Karen Finerman, Karlie Kloss, Thasunda Brown Duckett, Samantha Lasry and Gabrielle Rubenstein.

According to Forbes, Jack Ma has a net worth of $26.7 billion. He is the man behind the Alibaba group, one of the leading e-commerce platforms in the world. Ma co-founded the company in 1999 and led it to global success with his partners before stepping down as the executive chairman in 2019.

According to Gamelli's report, the funds acquired from the new round of investors will be used to fund the team's new practice facility. The transactions, however, are still subject to approval from the league's Board of Governors.

The Liberty started well as defending champions this season. They are on a three-game win streak, with their latest win coming against the Indiana Fever on Friday with a final score of 90-88.

New York Liberty plans to build 75,000-square-foot practice facility after securing a record valuation of $450 million

On Thursday, the Athletic reported that the New York Liberty has raised capital at a record valuation of $450 million. It is the highest valuation ever achieved by a professional women's sports team in all spaces.

Liberty's valuation is more than twice the previous record, which was held by the Dallas Wings, who were valued at $208 million when they sold two half-percent stakes in their franchise.

The defending WNBA champions plan to use the investment to build a new 75,000-square-foot practice facility for their players. The facility is said to be built in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn and is expected to open in 2027.

The new state-of-the-art practice facility will have two full practice courts and a private suite for each player instead of traditional lockers. It will also feature an in-house hair and make-up studio, a recovery suite and a two-story strength training facility.

The New York Liberty called the new project a first "designed by players, for players" facility, which comes with an expected $80 million price tag.