Former baseball star Alex Rodriguez and billionaire Marc Lore have signed a letter of intent to purchase the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx and the NBA’s Timberwolves from current owner Glen Taylor.
The value of the two franchises is estimated to be in the $1.5 billion range.
A historically successful franchise, the Lynx have qualified for the WNBA playoffs in 12 of their 21 years. They’ve also won the WNBA Championship four times in the past 10 years, most recently back in 2017.
Part of that success is the fact that Taylor is known for his equitable treatment between the two franchises. Lynx head coach and general manager Cheryl Reeve has been vocal about Taylor’s support, even citing the renovation decisions of the Target Center roughly five years back.
“It was important to (Glen) that (the) facility would reflect that two teams resided there and so everywhere you see a Timberwolves logo, you see a Lynx logo,” Reeve said in the Nothing But Net with Debbie Antonelli podcast back in February. “So it’s co-branded.”
Notably, every press release also includes both the Lynx and the Timberwolves’ names.
“What that says to the community is that the Lynx are important,” Reeve added on the podcast.
Notably absent from the joint statement put out by Rodriguez and Lore? Any mention of the Minnesota Lynx franchise.
Alex Rodriguez and partner Marc Lore are nearing minority stakes with the Minnesota Timberwolves, with plan to take control of the franchise in two years under mentorship of Glen Taylor. Statement from A-Rod and Lore: pic.twitter.com/nFDIhil5ra
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 10, 2021
Only time will tell whether or not this statement is anything to read into in regards to the Lynx. But with the 25th anniversary season approaching for the WNBA, and a marked shift in the conversation surrounding women’s sports as of late, fans will be closely examining how Rodriguez and Lore support the franchise.