Mark Davis landed Tom Brady.
Davis announced Thursday that the retired seven-time Super Bowl champ had acquired a minority stake in the defending WNBA champ Las Vegas Aces.
“I have always been a huge fan of women’s sports, and I admire the work that the Aces’ players, staff, and the WNBA continue to do to grow the sport and empower future generations of athletes,” Brady said in a statement.
Brady’s purchase will require the approval of the WNBA.
“Since I purchased the Aces, our goal has been to win on and off the court,” Davis, the owner of the Aces, said in a statement. “Tom Brady is a win not only for the Aces, and the WNBA, but for women’s professional sports as a whole.”
Davis, who also owns the Las Vegas Raiders, acquired the Aces nearly two years ago.
UFC president Dana White and former Raiders tight end Darren Waller have detailed how the Raiders were close to acquiring Brady before the 2020 season. Brady, a five-time Super Bowl MVP, ultimately signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“I’ve heard it from multiple sources that I respect and I’ve been close to,” Waller told Forbes. “They’re like, ‘Yeah, Brady to the Raiders was a lock.’”
White said that then-coach Jon Gruden “blew the deal up and said that he didn’t want [Brady].”
Brady, who retired last offseason only to return to the Bucs, retired again after last season. He played 23 seasons in the NFL, the first 20 seasons with the New England Patriots.
Brady’s interest in WNBA ownership was apparently piqued after attending an Aces game against the Connecticut Sun last May. But Brady detailed how his appreciation of women athletes began much further back.
“My love for women’s sports began at a young age when I would tag along to all my older sisters’ games,” Brady said. “They were by far the best athletes in our house. We celebrated their accomplishments together as a family, and they remain a great inspiration to me.”
The Aces begin their title defense on May 20 against the Seattle Storm.
