Malala Yousafzai and Billie Jean King Partner Up To Promote Women's Sports, and Invest in WNBA and NWSL

Malala Yousafzai has announced a new venture called Recess, focused on promoting women's sports globally. This initiative includes a partnership with tennis legend Billie Jean King, who will serve as an advisor, and involves planned investments in the WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association) and the NWSL (National Women's Soccer League).

Yousafzai, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and self-described sports fan, believes in the power of athletics to bring people together. She stated that sports have historically proven to be a powerful way to unite communities and foster dialogue. Following her previous work in education equality, Recess aims to expand athletic opportunities to empower girls and invest in women's sports.

Yousafzai will work alongside her husband, Asser Malik, leveraging his experience in Pakistan's cricket scene, and Billie Jean King. The WNBA and NWSL are identified as early investment targets due to their significant growth potential. Recent statistics support this potential: the NCAA women's basketball tournament drew large crowds and viewership, with the 2025 championship game peaking at 9.9 million TV viewers. Similarly, the NWSL's 2024 championship game averaged nearly a million viewers, an 18% year-over-year increase, and league attendance jumped over 40%, exceeding 2 million fans last season.

However, Recess has broader ambitions beyond these leagues. Yousafzai is motivated by her own childhood experiences in Pakistan, where she recalls girls being excluded from playing cricket during school recess while the boys participated. Her goal is to change such experiences for future generations by granting girls worldwide better access to playing fields and athletic opportunities.

Yousafzai emphasized that Recess is about empowering girls and sending a powerful message that "the sky’s the limit" for women's sports. She envisions creating more equal opportunities and a world where girls are empowered, stating that women's sports will thrive through this initiative.