“You Got Nieces; Daughters”: Dwyane Wade Livid At WNBA Naysayers

May 25, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Former basketball player Dwyane Wade attends with his wife Gabrielle Union a WNBA game between the Chicago Sky and Connecticut Sun at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

After decades of being overlooked and disrespected, the WNBA has started gaining relevance in the last few years. The previous season was its most commercially successful run due to the arrival of a group of influential young stars, led by Caitlin Clark. Dwyane Wade believes that hoop fans should rally behind the league and continue to build on this momentum.

On an episode of The Why with Dwyane Wade, the NBA legend trashed the WNBA naysayers, stating that the disrespect has been going on for a while,  The 43-year-old thinks that the league is headed in the right direction as they are showing unity and are coming together to grow the WNBA.

He said, “What the WNBA is showing, they’re showing togetherness in a time where it’s all about pulling them apart because they’re becoming the next thing.”

The WNBA needs more support to grow into an impactful league like the NBA. D-Wade is leading the charge, in more ways than one, and is bringing more attention to the league.

“Man, quit all that tearing the WNBA down, y’all. Like, stop that. Y’all got nieces, you got daughters, you got people who have dreams and they want to see themselves and want to see the people that look like them play this sport we all love,” Wade said.

He urged people to not watch the WNBA games if they don’t like it, but it’s time they stop disrespecting the league. It saw unprecedented growth in the last season where numerous viewership, attendance, and multiple records were broken.

In the upcoming season, a bigger impact is expected from the players who made the most noise. As for Wade’s commitment to the league, he has put his money where his mouth is.

Dwyane Wade is hoping for an NBA-like success for the WNBA

The three-time NBA Champion doesn’t believe in simply preaching to the public about showing support for the WNBA. In 2023, he joined the movement to take the WNBA to the next level by investing in the Chicago Sky franchise. D-Wade is a minority owner of the team and is committed to making the franchise as successful as the NBA teams.

During a conversation on CBS Mornings, he said, “Women’s basketball is like men’s basketball. I wanna see $200 million contracts the same way we’re seeing them right now. I want the game to grow and I want young girls to grow up and know that this league…can do the same thing for them that it did for our family. It can change your life.”

It’s going to be a long journey before the WNBA can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the NBA. With issues such as unequal pay and lack of international appeal, it will take a lot of consistent efforts to bring the WNBA to that level. But with the involvement of more people like D-Wade, the process can definitely be made easier.