The WNBA has just secured its latest icon as the legendary Serena Williams chooses to invest in the Toronto Tempo, becoming a part-owner, and here’s how she could impact the sport.
The Tempo will join the sport in the 2026 season and will become the latest new team after the Golden State Valkyries participate in 2025 as women’s basketball continues to explode with popularity.
Stars such as Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark and Cameron Brink, combined with a big push on social media and support from the NBA, has seen the sport increase its viewing figures to record levels as the WNBA Finals spiked by 115%.
Williams, famed for her 23 Grand Slam wins between 1999-2017 and 319 weeks as world number one, becomes arguably the largest name directly involved with women’s basketball and she could continue driving change.
How could Williams change the WNBA?
The 43-year-old comes at a time when racism has been a dividing topic in the WNBA, with many black athletes claiming they have to work harder than the counterparts for no more credit.
Whilst they also argue if they do something socially unacceptable, they’re scrutinized and punished beyond what their white peers would also experience for the same incidents.
This is not anything new to Serena. Alongside her awesome forehand and talent on the court, the tennis icon also shrugged off challenges from discrimination and ridicule to remain on top of her game.
From cartoons with racially-exaggerated features and the infamous crip walk at the 2012 Olympic Games gold medal match at Wimbledon, Williams has fought her way through those obstacles.
So as a champion of diversity, equality and social justice in women’s sports, she could help try to make the WNBA change to hear the complaints of its black stars and athletes.
Her new role as a part-owner of the Toronto Tempo could also see her make a push to overhaul the WNBA pay structure, another contentious issue as players complain the salaries are too low to survive on.
If a player doesn’t have big sponsorship deals, the often have to go and spent the WNBA offseason abroad to top up their income which only serves to shorten their careers, expose them to injury and keep them away from their families.
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