Basketball icon Dwyane Wade said he’s always been a WNBA fan, but he credits his family as a big reason he’s now also an investor.
His 5-year-old daughter, Kaavia, whom he shares with the actor Gabrielle Union, was the biggest influence when it came to becoming a co-owner of The Chicago skyline in 2023.
“The most important thing is that my son, Zaire, grew up dreaming of playing in the NBA,” Wade said. “He dreamed of being like his favorite players. We understand the importance of role models, so I want my daughter to feel the same way.”
An emerging model in the WNBA is the rookie star forward Angel Reesewho plays for the Chicago Sky.
“She owns everything. She owns who she is. She wants to be great and be a great teammate. And so when we talk about that, it’s to give her the confidence to continue to be that.”
Now an athlete mentor, Wade said Reese helped propel women’s sports into the spotlight.
“The women have been at their best and it started last year when Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark won their national titles,” Wade said. “It’s like anything we want to do in life. You work and prepare for your moment. You don’t always know when it’s going to come.”
Beyond basketball, the NBA legend is making a difference with his daughter Zaya, a transgender LGBTQ activist. Together, the father-daughter duo launched the Translatable Project, an online resource for the LGBTQ youth community and their families.
Wade said Zaya has been his biggest inspiration and best educator.
“She wants to make a real impact. When I sat down with Zaya and asked her, ‘OK, what does that look like for you?’ she wanted what she didn’t have, which was, you know, resources that we all need.”
So Wade said they reached out to the Human Rights Campaign to “help us make an impact.”
When it comes to the future of women’s basketball, Wade said her hope lies in equality.
“I want young girls to grow up and know that this league can do the same thing for them that it can do for our family,” he said. “It can change your life.”
Jericka Duncan
