Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis is skipping his football team’s home opener on Sunday to be in Uncasville, Conn., where his Aces are bidding to win the WNBA title, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.
The Aces hold a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series. A Game 4 win over the Connecticut Sun would give Las Vegas its first major pro sports title.
“I knew if it was a potentially (series) deciding game, I would be with the Aces,” said Davis, who watched the Sun win Game 3, 105-76.
The Aces are scheduled to tip off just a few minutes before the Raiders meet the Arizona Cardinals at Allegiant Stadium.
Last Sunday, Davis missed Game 1 of the WNBA Finals to attend the Raiders’ season opener in Los Angeles, where they lost to the Chargers 24-19.
“I’ll be 100 percent into the basketball game,” David told the Review-Journal. “I won’t be worried about the football game until the basketball game is over.”
Given that the Raiders have not won a Super Bowl since after the 1983 season, Davis knows the struggle to win a league title.
“We went back to the Super Bowl (in 2003) and got blown out and haven’t sniffed one since,” he said. “I know how hard it is. Even though (the Aces) are up 2-1, I’m not counting any chickens. You have to go do it. But when you do, it’s so rewarding. If the Aces can do this — be the first major league professional team in Las Vegas — I’d be very proud of that. It would be a statement that would last forever.
“This has never been a hobby for me. We’re looking for success on and off the court, and we’re making progress in both endeavors. This is very important to me. I’ve said it before — these women are the greatest athletes in the world at what they do. It’s really good basketball, and we have some of the greatest fans in the world.”
Davis entered into a deal to buy the Aces from MGM Resorts International in January 2021.
If necessary, a deciding Game 5 of the WNBA Finals will be held Tuesday night in Las Vegas.
–Field Level Media