For the first time in nearly three decades, the Virginia Cavaliers are dancing into the Sweet 16, and their improbable run was set in motion long before the tournament by a figure more famous for tech and tennis.

Facing the No. 2 seed, Iowa, the Cavaliers were the underdogs. And yet, they went band for band against the Hawkeyes in their own den. They erased a 9-point deficit in the fourth quarter, eventually winning 83-75 in double overtime. “We were just so resilient in this game,” Virginia coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton said. “No matter what they threw at us, we just did not get rattled.” Virginia advances to the Sweet 16, but there is an unlikely hero behind this exceptional performance. 

For the first time since 2000, ending a 26-year wait, Virginia has advanced to the second weekend of the tournament. It’s also the first time a 10-seed has reached the Sweet 16 since Creighton did it in 2022. That’s not all. The program hadn’t reached the NCAA tournament in the last 7 years and had just one bid in the last 15. But in came University of Virginia alumnus, Reddit Co-founder and Tennis superstar Serena Williams’ husband, Alexis Ohanian.

In December 2024, Ohanian made the largest donation in Cavalier women’s basketball program history and the second-largest to women’s athletics in UVA records. The amount was $776,000  per year for 4 years, according to a report from Sportico. “I am proud to support the women’s program at my alma mater with this donation. It’s time to bring the nation’s best hoops talent to Charlottesville and win some championships in the next four years,” he said at the time. Within two years, the results are visible. He did not leave it at that, actively supporting the team as well. 

After the Cavaliers punched their Sweet 16 ticket, Ohanian posted, “SO PROUD! WTG, LADIES.” Ohanian is an active investor in women’s sports, apart from his alma mater. He founded the NWSL’s Angel City FC and sold it to Disney CEO Bob Iger and his wife, Willow Bay, for a $250 million valuation four years later in 2024. 

He owns Los Angeles Golf Club, the first team to join the Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy-backed golf simulator league TGL Ohanian also launched Athlos, an all-women’s track event. His investment company, Seven-Six, owns a stake in the Chelsea Women’s Soccer Team and the LOVB Los Angeles Women’s Volleyball team. Serena Williams also joined in, buying a stake in the WNBA’s expansion franchise Toronto Tempo and the 3v3 league Unrivaled. 

With the funding acquired from Ohanian, Virginia invested it well. They added high-profile transfers like Sa’Myah Smith (LSU), Caitlin Weimar (NC State), and Adeang Ring (UCF), who are core pieces of the current team. Yet, it’s not only the cash that has made this roster, but head, coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton has ensured the program has a solid cultural foundation. 

Virginia Coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton Credits Culture Building After Iowa Win

Just pouring money into a program does not guarantee results. And that is true across basketball. Just have a look at Kentucky’s men’s program. They reportedly spent around $22 million, the highest in the country and still crashed out in the second round after a 22-14 season. So, at Virginia Coach Amaka was focused on building a culture and a foundation rather than just splurging money. 

“When we got here, obviously the transfer portal was really starting to pick up and collegiate athletics was changing. But I really wanted to build the culture, and we talk about culture wins all the time,” she said. “It’s up in our gym. I wanted to get young kids that could grow and we can build this thing. We can lay a foundation rather than utilize the transfer portal, but rather than going in and getting a whole bunch of older kids, we just can’t really sustain some kind of culture.”

Despite the addition of key transfers, they also retained 61.6% of scoring from last season. And they already had a storied history to begin with. But Dawn Staley is not running the point anymore, and neither is coach Debbie Ryan leading the Cavaliers to ACC championships. When Amaka was hired in 2022, they had come off a 5-22 season. Slowly but surely, she has brought back the respect for Virginia. She has formed special relationships with players that show results beyond just the court.