Conversations around becoming part of the Storm ownership group began several months ago, but the Super Bowl champion’s interest in and admiration of the team goes back years.
“I watched them from afar playing in Seattle,” Wagner said. “Obviously, what they were doing on the basketball court but the most impressive stuff for me was what they were doing off the court. All the initiative, all of the help. Anything in the community I would say they were the first to do it. I don’t know if we said it enough, but they inspired our organization [the Seattle Seahawks] a lot, and so I’m really excited to be a part of an organization that has been inspiring me for a long time.”
While his Storm ownership might be the most widely publicized move, the future Hall of Famer has also invested in women entrepreneurs and women-led funds that focus on sports and tech. In any business decision, insights from those with specific experience and wisdom can be helpful. When it came to joining the Storm ownership group, Wagner had a great resource in his corner: Magic Johnson, a part-owner of the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks.
“He’s been a really big mentor of mine,” Wagner said. “He’s helped out so much, so he’s definitely a guy I ran this idea across before I made the decision, and you know, he was a huge help because he’s obviously done it, he’s done it at a high level.”