Getty Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis.
Since Mark Davis took over ownership of the Raiders from his late father, the team has had limited success. They’ve had just two playoff berths but no wins with him running the show. Things are starting to look up for Davis and the team’s move to Las Vegas has been a huge success.
While Davis still waits for the Raiders to build a contender, he’s had much more success with the Las Vegas Aces. He purchased the WNBA team in 2021 and they are already headed to their first Finals appearance under his ownership. The Aces will be facing off against the Connecticut Sun in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals in Las Vegas on Sunday. However, not everything is working out perfectly for Davis.
The Raiders open their season against the Chargers in Los Angeles around the same time the Aces will be playing. The WNBA is growing in popularity but the NFL remains the most popular sport in the country. Davis is quite annoyed that he has to choose between his two teams and made it known.
“I’m like a single parent that has two children I love very, very much and it’s deciding which child do you go to see,” Davis told USA TODAY Sports.
Davis just doesn’t understand why the WNBA would schedule Game 1 of the Finals on the NFL’s opening day.
“It makes no sense. It doesn’t make any sense,” Davis said.
“‘We don’t have the eyeballs. Well how in the hell are you going to get eyeballs when you’re going up against the opening day of the National Football League?” Davis asked. “That part is tough.”
Davis Is Invested in Growing the WNBA’s Popularity
Davis simply believes that the WNBA trying to compete with the NFL’s viewership is a losing battle. He believes that the league has a great product but nobody is going to realize that if they aren’t watching the games.
“We have the greatest athletes in the world at what they do,” Davis said. “We need people to invest in the game. … If we invest in the product, it will come back to us in multiples.”
Davis isn’t thrilled with the situation but his mind is focused on winning at the end of the day.
“That’s why you do these things, to win titles. It’s just win, baby,” Davis said, borrowing his father’s trademark line.
“It’s just win – on and off the court, that’s the important thing.”
Davis Would Pick Aces Over Raiders for Deciding Game
Davis could be facing a tough decision in the coming weeks. The Raiders have their home opener against the Arizona Cardinals on September 18, which happens to be the day that Game 4 of the WNBA Finals will take place in Connecticut. If forced to choose between a close-out game and the Raiders opener, Davis knows what he would pick.
“I will most definitely be at the Aces game at that point, because it would be a deciding game,” Davis said. “If it’s a deciding game, I absolutely have to be there, whether it’s for the Aces to win it all or not. The fact (Game 1 is) at home, it made this a little easier to make this decision. But it’s not easy.
“It’s absolutely a tough decision because I want to make this clear: The Aces are not a hobby,” he said. “It’s a real deal for me.”