Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian gets honest about founding Reddit at UVA and his vision for alma mater's women's basketball team

Serena Williams' husband and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian recently highlighted his "big ambitions" for the University of Virginia's (UVA) women's basketball team. Ohanian also underlined his unwavering confidence in female-led initiatives.

A University of Virginia alumnus, Ohanian attended a college women’s basketball game between the Virginia Cavaliers and the Duke Blue Devils at the John Paul Jones Arena on Sunday, January 12. Ohanian soaked in the thrilling atmosphere, sitting courtside in a UVA jersey, even as the Cavaliers narrowly lost 55-60 to the Blue Devils in an intense Atlantic Coast Conference showdown.

In late December 2024, he made headlines with a remarkable $1 million donation to the program. This donation marked a historic milestone as the largest ever made to the Cavalier women's basketball team and the second-largest to UVA's women's athletics overall.

The tech mogul took to social media to express his enthusiasm and vision for the team's future. In a heartfelt X (formerly Twitter) post, Ohanian shared that he registered Reddit's domain at the University of Virginia, making his journey come full circle.

"Wahoowa! I registered reddit.com in the Alderman library, the story started at @UVA, and after a great year as a public company, it feels good to complete the circle back in C-Ville. I have big ambitions for our team and these ladies will deliver in the years to come."

During the game, the 41-year-old was presented with a framed jersey featuring his name and the number '1'. The official UVA women's basketball account on X (formerly Twitter) posted two photos of the American grinning as he posed with the jersey. Ohanian then reshared the post, writing:

"UVA forever."

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Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian reveals why he chose not to purchase a WNBA team

In Picture: Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian speaks at Sportico's Invest in Sports event in New York (Getty)

Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian explained why he chose not to invest in a WNBA team, focusing instead on supporting the growth of women’s basketball at its foundation.

During the 'Best of Both Worlds' podcast with college basketball player Flau'jae Johnson, Ohanian expressed his desire to improve women’s college basketball, even considering buying its rights from the NCAA due to his frustration with its management.

The 41-year-old criticized the NCAA for under-investing in women’s sports while athletes drove both revenue and attention.

Ohanian later shared his intentions to make a bigger impact in NCAA women’s basketball on Instagram, writing:

"Women’s college basketball is up next, I’ll tell you that right now. @flaujae asked if I’d considered investing in the WNBA, but my sights are set on NCAA Women’s Basketball. It’s not just talk – look no further than my recent announcement that my first big investment into the space will be with a multi-year commitment to @uvawomenshoops," Ohanian wrote.

Ohanian is a passionate sports fan who has invested in Angel City FC of the NWSL and the Los Angeles Golf Club, in addition to founding a women's track and field startup called Athlos.