Serena Williams is becoming a member of the possession group of the WNBA’s first Canadian franchise, the Toronto Tempo, the group introduced Monday. She’s going to companion with Larry Tanenbaum, Chairman of Kilmer Sports activities Ventures for the Tempo, who will start play within the 2026 season.
Serena Williams Will Play An Lively Function In Future Jersey Designs For The WNBA’s Toronto Tempo
Per The Athletic’s Ben Pickerman and Richard Deitsch, the proportion of Williams’ stake within the franchise was not introduced. Her funding is reportedly nonetheless pending closing league approval.
“I’m thrilled to announce my possession position within the first Canadian WNBA group, the Toronto Tempo,” stated Williams. “This second isn’t just about basketball; it’s about showcasing the true worth and potential of feminine athletes — I’ve all the time stated that ladies’s sports activities are an unimaginable funding alternative. I’m excited to companion with Larry and all of Canada in creating this new WNBA franchise and legacy.”
New court docket, new sport
We’re thrilled to announce that @SerenaWilliams – legendary tennispro – has joined the group as the latest proprietor of the Toronto Tempo. pic.twitter.com/kRPYNvdoya
— Toronto Tempo (@TempoBasketball) March 3, 2025
Williams will play an lively position in future jersey designs, in response to The Related Press. The tennis icon may even “contribute to bringing the Tempo to life visually.”
She made her skilled tennis debut at age 14 at a match in Canada in 1995, and her final occasion was the 2022 U.S. Open.
Serena Williams Gained 23 Grand Slam Titles, An Open Period Report
Williams gained 23 Grand Slam singles titles, essentially the most by a lady within the sport’s Open period, along with 14 main trophies in ladies’s doubles alongside her older sister, Venus.
“Serena is a champion,” stated Tempo President Teresa Resch. “She’s the best athlete of all time, and her affect on this group and this nation goes to be unimaginable. She’s set the bar for girls in sport, enterprise and the world — and her dedication to utilizing that success to create alternatives for different ladies is inspiring — we’re thrilled to be marking the lead-up to Worldwide Girls’s Day with this announcement.”
“I believe ladies’s sport is having a second that it all the time ought to’ve had.”
CNN Unique: 23-time grand slam champion Serena Williams talks to @AmandaDCNN in regards to the rise of ladies’s sport and revealed her curiosity in proudly owning a WNBA group. pic.twitter.com/FwD7iJXAVE
— CNN Sports activities (@cnnsport) April 15, 2024
Williams advised CNN final April she was “tremendous ” in including a WNBA group to her funding portfolio.
“I completely can be [interested]. With the precise market, I might undoubtedly be tremendous enthusiastic about that,” she stated.
Toronto Tempo Are The WNBA’s 14th Franchise
The Tempo had been unveiled because the WNBA’s 14th franchise final Could and can debut within the 2026 season. Kilmer Sports activities Ventures additionally invests in Maple Leaf Sports activities and Leisure (MLSE), proprietor of the NBA’s Toronto Raptors.
Williams is the newest former professional athlete to affix a WNBA possession group. Dwyane Wade, Magic Johnson, Renee Montgomery, and Tom Brady already are homeowners.
This isn’t the primary possession enterprise for Williams. She has a stake within the Angel Metropolis FC ladies’s soccer group.
She additionally holds minority stakes within the NFL’s Miami Dolphins in addition to TGL’s Los Angeles Golf Membership, the digital golf league based by PGA stars Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.
