Ant International signs WNBA star Sabrina Ionescu as brand ambassador

Ant International, the Singapore-based affiliate of Chinese fintech giant Ant Group, has named US basketball star Sabrina Ionescu as its global brand ambassador in a fresh partnership between sports and tech.

The four-time all-star in the US Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) was chosen as part of an effort to expand access to financial tools via innovative technology, the digital payments provider said on Tuesday.

The 28-year-old point guard – an Olympic gold medallist and the top draft pick in 2020 – plays for the New York Liberty, which is owned by Alibaba Group Holding chairman and co-founder Joe Tsai and his wife, Clara Wu Tsai. Ant Group is an affiliate of Alibaba, which also owns the South China Morning Post.

The partnership came as a sign that Ant International is trying to boost its global clout, building upon its strong presence in Asia.

“Sabrina embodies the spirit of perseverance and the passion for excellence that is driving young talents and small businesses around the world to uplift their communities,” said Douglas Feagin, president of Ant International, in a statement.

Ant International provides cross-border digital payments and digitalisation services to merchants and financial institutions through brands including the cross-border payment platform Alipay+, merchant payment solution Antom, inclusive financial service Bettr, and WorldFirst, a business-to-business cross-border collection and payment service.