Serena Williams and Sabrina Ionescu make major investments in women’s sports leagues

The GIST: Time to make it rain — not one, but two powerhouse women athletes made major investments in women’s sports leagues on Monday. Talking that talk and walking that walk.

Serena Williams buys ownership stake in the Toronto Tempo: The tennis legend is now a part-owner of the WNBA’s first Canadian franchise, set to debut in 2026. As part of her role, Williams (who co-chaired the Met Gala and made her retirement announcement via Vogue) will help design the team’s jerseys, in addition to facilitating future merch collabs. Our DMs are open.

• This is the latest in a long list of investments that Williams and her husband, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, have made in women’s sports.

• Williams is also a part-owner of the NWSL’s Angel City FC, while Ohanian has donated millions to his alma mater’s UVA women’s basketball, created the Athlos track and field competition, and is helping to franchise The Sports Bra, the first-ever women’s sports bar. Money moves.

Sabrina Ionescu invests in NWSL’s Bay FC: Fresh off a WNBA championship, NY Liberty star Ionescu is setting her sights on the soccer field, investing in her hometown NWSL squad. Like Williams, Ionescu will be more than just an owner — she’ll serve as a commercial advisor for Bay FC, leveraging her sneaker prowess to design cleats. Gotta kick it up.

Zooming out: This is far from the first time we’ve seen powerhouse female athletes making cross-sport investments. Retired USWNT stars Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe were among the first investors in Unrivaled, tennis legend Billie Jean King helped found the PWHL, and WNBA standout Caitlin Clark joined Cincinnati's NWSL expansion bid.

• There’s no business like showbusiness the business of women’s sports.