NFL great Tom Brady ended up in Las Vegas after all, but not as a member of the Raiders.
Brady, a seven-time Super Bowl champion who retired after last season, acquired ownership interest in the reigning WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces, the team announced Thursday.
The interest in the team was sparked when Brady sat courtside at an Aces game in May. Brady was the subject of rumors of potentially ending up in Las Vegas to play for the Raiders multiple times in the past few years.
“I am very excited to be part of the Las Vegas Aces organization,” Brady said in a statement. “My love for women’s sports began at a young age when I would tag along to all my older sisters’ games. 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.”
Adding someone with the winning caliber of Brady falls in line with Aces and Raiders majority owner Mark Davis’ vision for the team.
“Since I purchased the Aces, our goal has been to win on and off the court,” Davis 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.”
The Aces relocated to Las Vegas before the 2018 season and were purchased by Davis before the 2021 season.
Brady’s stake in the team is the latest move the Aces have made since their move to Las Vegas. The team has acquired top-tier talent, such as WNBA star Candace Parker, done work in the community and is set to open the team’s training facility and headquarters this year in Henderson.
Brady’s purchase is subject to WNBA approval.
“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. “To be able to contribute in any way to that mission as a member of the Aces organization is an incredible honor.”
