INQUIRER Sports

WASHINGTON -- Two-time National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player Steve Nash has joined the investors in the new US women's professional football league set to debut next year, the league announced.

Nash, a Canadian who grew up playing football as a youth, will not run any of the seven initial teams but the Phoenix Suns guard and NBA assists leader the past three seasons will help in developing Women's Professional Soccer.

"I'm really excited to play a role in bringing professional soccer to North America," Nash said.

"As a father of twin girls, I'm especially pleased to help young women around the world realize their dreams of being a pro soccer player which can indeed come true."

Nash's father John was a professional football player in South Africa and England. The NBA star's brother Martin plays on Canada's national football team and sister Joann was captain on the women's team at the University of Victoria.

The new league would replace the defunct Women's United Soccer Association, featured in the film "Bend It Like Beckham", when it debuts in 2009 with teams in Dallas, Chicago, New York, Washington, Los Angeles, Boston and St. Louis.

Jeff Mallett, a former president and chief operating officer of Yahoo!, will join Nash as an investor and part owner of the league. Mallett spent two years in Canada's national and Olympic soccer programs as a teen.

"I believe the opportunity in North America to build a successful professional women's soccer league that attracts the best players in the world is here and now," Mallett said.