Owner of WNBA's Aces connects franchise's past to present

Mark Davis has alrey left his imprint on Las Vegas Aces franchise in his first year as team's owner, connecting its past to present.

He saw firsthand how much his far, Al Davis, cared for former Raiders players, starting first alumni program in NFL, which has grown over years.

Mark Davis wanted to bring a similar program to Aces and has been inviting back alums of franchise dating to its time in Utah and San Antonio.

“I wanted to take that alumni initiative that Raiders h built that I feel so strong about and bring that to Aces as well,” Davis said in an interview at Raiders facility. “This season would be 25th anniversary of WNBA and Aces' franchise. y were an original WNBA franchise starting in Utah as Starzz and going to San Antonio before moving to Las Vegas as Aces. It was my intention to go back 25 years and let those women know we remember m.”

Nikki Fargas, new Aces president, was tasked with making this initiative work. She h seen it with Raiders — her husband, Justin Fargas, played for m.

“When Mark said to me I want to create same feeling of family with Aces I knew exactly what he meant,” she said. “I h experienced how y treat ir former players We want it to be standard of what it should look like when you’re part of Aces family. If you played five minutes or five years in a Utah or San Antonio uniform you’re part of Aces family."

One of those former players was Sylvia Crawley Spann, who played one season in San Antonio in 2003. She received a text from Fargas in May inviting her and a guest to Las Vegas for weekend to celebrate her season with franchise.

At first, Crawley Spann thought invitation was a joke since she h spent only a season with franchise. Soon she realized it wasn't. She went to Neva for weekend with her fiance at time. two h been talking about eloping in Las Vegas. y married day after y arrived.

“I think Mark is setting a precedent. He gets it. How to run an organization and how to value your employees and past employees,” Crawley Spann said. “He wasn’t owner of my specific team, but he considers us a part of lineage.”

Crawley Spann said that Fargas basically put toger wedding in a matter of hours. or former players on trip served as members of wedding party and dinner with Davis turned into a wedding reception.

“Our wedding gift from Aces is that our anniversary will forever be in Vegas on Memorial Day weekend,” Crawley Spann said. “We have an open invitation to always come back re. I can’t say enough about my experience a moment I’ll never ever, ever forget.”

Jennifer Azzi came to Las Vegas on a different weekend and also left impressed.

“Mark has set standard for what a WNBA team should look like,” she said. “Players, regardless of ir salary, want to feel connected, want to feel important and part of something that's bigger than mselves. He's done that alrey in his first year.”

So far roughly 40 alums have come to Las Vegas for a weekend. y go out to dinner so he can get to know m and “let m know we appreciate and understand sacrifices y me to help build this league.”

COVID-19 protocols have prevented former players from spending much time with current team. But Fargas and Davis suspect that will change once pandemic is behind.

“We see this growing into something much bigger,” Fargas said.

Davis envisions a bright future for Aces on and off court. He's planning to build a state of art training facility across street from where Raiders train.

He points to vacant land beyond a window.

“We're going to give m a home,” he said. “That meant practice facilities, offices, training room, locker room, everything that would make m a world class organization.”

That building will also house Al Davis-Eddie Robinson Leership Acemy.

“When I meet alumni and talk about Aces' building, women are so excited about both,” Davis said. “It will be something special here.”