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Washington, D.C. (10/27/2026) – Washington Spirit CEO Kim Stone has been named the 2026 Sports Leader of the Year by the Washington Business Journal. Stone is one of only eight honorees in WBJ’s 2026 CEO Awards and will be recognized Dec. 9 at The Ritz-Carlton, Washington, D.C., and featured in WBJ’s print and online editions on Dec. 11.
“I’m honored to receive this award by the Washington Business Journal, but this recognition belongs to the whole Spirit family,” said Stone. “Michele Kang’s vision and investment, our players and staff, our partners, and our fans, who turned Audi Field into Rowdy Audi have all played a role. We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished this season and over the past three years, but we’re nowhere near finished.”
Stone, who became Spirit CEO in 2024, has transformed the organization’s business, market position and community impact in just three seasons, with 2026 the most successful yet. Under Stone, the Spirit has built the best home-field advantage in the NWSL, dubbed ‘Rowdy Audi’, welcoming more than 224,000 fans through the gates in 2026. This season, the Spirit recorded a club-record five sellouts and averaged more than 17,000 fans for weekend matches. Attendance has grown 87.5% since Stone took the job, and the club has sold out Audi Field 11 times during her tenure.
On the strength of the environment Stone and the Spirit have built at Audi Field, the club was selected to host the 2026 NWSL Championship and will welcome the entire league and the women’s soccer world to Washington, D.C., in November for a weeklong showcase of the city, its community and the club.
On the partnership side, the Spirit signed six new partners in 2026, including a landmark deal with beauty brand Sol de Janeiro, which became the club’s official beauty and celebration partner in the company’s first-ever investment in sports. The club also posted a 99% year-over-year partner renewal rate and, for the first time, sold every on-kit sponsorship position – front, back, sleeve, and home and away warmups.
Stone and the Spirit opened the year by making history, re-signing franchise cornerstone and global superstar Trinity Rodman to the largest contract in NWSL history and delivering on the club’s top offseason priority of keeping her in D.C. The momentum carried into the season: the club’s preseason fan event, Spirit Fest, sold out in its largest edition ever; the Spirit became the NWSL’s top-selling jersey team, with six players in the league’s top eight in jersey sales following the kit reveal; and the club sold out its first three weekend home matches.
That success has drawn national recognition. Earlier in 2026, the Spirit became the second NWSL club ever named a Sports Business Journal Team of the Year finalist. The club’s valuation has climbed to $196 million, up 107% over the past 18 months, and the Spirit played in the NWSL’s two highest-attended matches this season.
The Spirit will return home for a Decision Day meeting with Chicago Stars FC on Sunday, November 1 as the side looks to clinch a home quarterfinal match. Kicking off at 5 p.m. EST, tickets are available at WashingtonSpirit.com/tickets.
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