Dwyane Wade has been a vocal ambassador for women’s basketball since his own playing career ended in the NBA. So when he was presented with an opportunity to invest in the Chicago Sky, it was an easy choice for Wade, who recalled training near the team when he was back in his hometown for the summer.
Advertisement
Wade hopes his efforts will help uplift both the Sky and the city of Chicago, which now boasts one of the W’s brightest young stars in Angel Reese. The three-time champion explained that NBA players can support their female counterparts by showing up to games and talking about them, but decided that investing time and money into a franchise was the next step.
The Heat legend explained that part of his role is simply to continue to elevate the game. The WNBA has drawn more eyes, especially over the last year, but Wade wants to continue to grow that side of basketball. D-Wade shared that he is constantly learning from players and others within the organization while also offering his own expertise.
“I’m a fan of the game, I’m someone who knows the game of basketball,” Wade said on Unapologetically Angel. “But I’m also someone who’s willing to sit and learn and listen.” The 43-year-old explained that there are plenty of ways to support the franchise, but emphasized his important responsibility of outreach and communication.
As a Chicago native and a strong supporter of women, Wade and the Sky were always a natural partnership. But it’s not an idea he came to on his own. His daughter, Zaaria, had a big influence on Wade’s decision to invest in his hometown WNBA squad.
“The big part of that is that my son, Zaire, grew up and he had a dream of being in the NBA. He had a dream of being like his favorite players. You understand the importance of role models and so, I want my daughter to have that same feeling,” Wade told Jericka Duncan of CBS News.
Now over half a decade removed from his Hall of Fame NBA career, Dwyane Wade is much more financially savvy than he was in his early playing days. He shared that another reason he wanted to invest in the Sky is because he regretted not staking more in the league earlier.
In a household filled with women, D-Wade learned the importance of marketing female athletes similarly to men. The WNBA still has a long road ahead to becoming self-sustaining, or even profitable, but with former stars like Wade stepping up, that possibility is becoming more promising than ever.
