(CNN) Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady has acquired a stake in the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces, team owner Mark Davis announced Thursday.
“I am very excited to be a part of the Las Vegas Aces organization,” Brady said in a statement Thursday. “I have always been a huge fan of women’s sports and admire the work the Aces players, staff and WNBA continue to do to grow the sport and empower future generations of athletes. To be able to contribute in any way to this mission as a member of the Aces organization is an incredible honor.”
Brady said his love of women’s sports came from watching his older sisters who were “by far the best athletes in our house”!
Brady announced his retirement from the NFL in February after 23 seasons with the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. During his long career, the three-time league MVP set nearly every passing record, including regular season passing yards (89,214) and passing touchdowns (649). He also has the most wins of any player in NFL history (251).
“Ever since I bought the Aces, our goal has been to win on and off the court,” said Davis, who also owns the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders. “Tom Brady is not just an asset to the Aces and the WNBA, but to women’s professional sports overall.”
Davis purchased the WNBA franchise prior to the 2021 season. Brady’s partial acquisition of the team is subject to WNBA approval.
The Aces go into the upcoming season as reigning WNBA champions. The team opens the season against the Seattle Storm on May 20th at the Climate Pledge Arena in Washington.
In October, Brady joined former tennis No. 1 Kim Clijsters in the ownership group of an expanding major league pickleball team, who entered the draft in December to support their new roster, the Las Vegas Night Owls .