Serena Williams strongly denies Unrivaled investment after mega valuation

Contrary to reports, Serena Williams denied investing in Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart’s Unrivaled League, clearing up the confusion in a strongly worded message shared on social media.

On Monday, CNBC reported that Williams had invested in the 3-on-3 Women’s Basketball league, bringing the league’s valuation up to $340 million. While Williams' institutional fund, Serena Ventures, did invest in Unrivaled, she herself has nothing to do with it.

“Serena Williams (me) did not personally invest in Unrivaled. @SerenaVentures, an institutional VC fund now run and managed by Beth Ferreira, invested in Unrivaled,” Williams wrote on X.

Williams' denial seems confusing, but her points stand, considering she took issue with CNBC's article identifying her by the activity of her investment company. While Williams distanced herself from the league with her message on X, it hasn't deterred Unrivaled, as the league has reached a valuation of $340 million.

Speaking after Monday's investment round, league president and Napheesa Collier's husband, Alex Bazzell, said that Unrivaled has had to turn away investors.

"Everything we said we were going to do, we did. There’s nothing that we pitched investors that did not come to fruition," Bazzell said. "We’ve built that trust from an institutional standpoint, and it’s opened the doors where we’re now having to turn away investors."

Serena Williams has an ownership stake in one of the WNBA's expansion teams

While Williams denies directly investing in Unrivaled, she isn't completely missing out on women's basketball's growth. Williams is part of the group that owns the WNBA's first Canadian team, the Toronto Tempo.

Her stake in the team was announced in March, after which she released a statement expressing her excitement:

"I am thrilled to announce my ownership role in the first Canadian WNBA team, the Toronto Tempo,” said Serena Williams. "This moment is not just about basketball; it is about showcasing the true value and potential of female athletes."

The Toronto Tempo will begin play from the 2026 season at the Coca-Cola Coliseum, joining the Portland Fire as the league's newest expansion team.

Widely regarded as the greatest women's athlete of all time, Williams has enjoyed a fabled tennis career. She will now look to leave her mark on women's basketball and hopes to uplift female athletes through her work with the Tempo.

About the author

Sameer is an esports and gaming journalist at Sportskeeda who covers a diverse range of topics. He is currently pursuing a BSc degree from BITS, but his love for video games pushed him to pursue a gaming journalism career. He relies on diligent research and fact-checking to deliver top-notch content. He has previously worked in the hospitality sector with the Oberoi Group.

Sameer’s gaming journey began with Rockstar Games’ GTA franchise, specifically
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. He strongly prefers multiplayer games, with FPS being his favorite genre, and has devoted 6K+ hours to CS:GO! However, he also dabbles in open-world, story-based games from time to time. Solo RPGs like Horizon Forbidden West hold a soft spot in his heart, and he would readily drop in it given a Jumanji-type scenario.

Sameer makes sure to follow Counter-Strike and Valorant esports tournaments, as he believes that watching a game being played at the highest level can be highly educational. He derives inspiration from Tarik's meteoric rise to become one of the biggest FPS streamers in the world following the release of Valorant.

Outside of work, you can find Sameer playing football or cheering for FC Barcelona. He also likes to read and write poetry.

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Edited by Sameer Khan