Baseketball-Serena Williams takes ownership stake in WNBA’s Toronto Tempo

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TORONTO (Reuters) – Retired tennis great Serena Williams has taken an ownership stake in Canada’s first Women’s National Basketball Association team, the Toronto Tempo announced on Monday.

Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion who made her professional debut in Canada in 1995, will play an active role in the Tempo’s jersey designs and help forge unique merchandise collaborations with the team.

“I am thrilled to announce my ownership role in the first Canadian WNBA team, the Toronto Tempo,” Williams said in a Tempo press release.

“This moment is not just about basketball; it is about showcasing the true value and potential of female athletes — I have always said that women’s sports are an incredible investment opportunity.”

Williams joins an ownership group alongside Larry Tanenbaum, who is chairman of Kilmer Sports Ventures, the NBA Board of Governors and of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, which owns the city’s NBA, NHL and MLS teams.

The Tempo, which were announced last May as the WNBA’s first franchise outside the United States, will begin play in the 2026 season and play home games at an 8,700-seat arena in the city’s downtown area and additional games in Montreal and Vancouver.

“Serena Williams is an icon, a role model and a force for change in the world,” said Tanenbaum.

“She’s earned every bit of her incredible success with hard work, tenacity and determination in the face of countless challenges. She exemplifies the very best of what the Tempo stand for – we couldn’t be more honoured to have Serena in our court.”

(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto, editing by Pritha Sarkar)