After decades of being overlooked, the WNBA has gained relevance and a growing loyal audience in the last few years. The previous season was its most commercially successful one, mostly attributed to the arrival of a group of influential young stars, led by Caitlin Clark. Dwyane Wade, who has been one of the prominent voices rallying behind the league, has thrashed the WNBA naysayers.
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On a recent episode of The Why with Dwyane Wade, the NBA legend described how people have been “tearing down” the league for no good reason. He stated the women’s game is headed in the right direction, with the players showing unity, and coming together to grow the WNBA.
“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,” said Wade.
The WNBA needs more support to grow into an impactful league like the NBA. And D-Wade, in more ways than one, is bringing a lot of 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,” added Wade.
D-Wade urged those who don’t want to watch the WNBA games to feel free to stay away. But they should not be stopping others from supporting the league.
The WNBA broke numerous viewership and attendance records this past season. The games attracted more than 54 million unique viewers across ABC, CBS, ESPN, ESPN2, ION and NBA TV. And the year’s action was viewed for a record 136.29 million hours across all national networks.
In the upcoming season, a bigger impact is expected from the players who made the most noise — from Clark to Angel Reese, A’Ja Wilson, and many more.
As for Wade’s commitment to the WNBA, he has put his money where his mouth is.
Wade’s larger commitment to 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 elevate the WNBA by investing in the Chicago Sky franchise. D-Wade is a minority owner in the team and is committed to making the franchise as successful as the NBA teams.
“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,” he said during a conversation on CBS Mornings.
It’s going to be a long journey before the WNBA can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the NBA. With shortcomings such as unequal pay and lack of international appeal, it will take consistent efforts and long-term commitment from all stakeholders and fans to bring the WNBA to that level. However, involving more people like D-Wade will undoubtedly help in the process.
