Dwyane Wade’s legacy isn’t just his Hall of Fame resume or his highlight-reel moments with the Miami Heat, but for who he is, both on and off the court. Since hanging up his jersey, the three-time NBA champion has seamlessly transitioned into many roles as a father, entrepreneur, media personality, author, and, notably, a team owner. With stakes in both the NBA and the WNBA, Wade has become an influential voice across the basketball landscape. So, if there’s anyone who can speak about the women’s game, it is Dwyane Wade.

The former Miami Heat legend has also shown interest in helping and developing the WNBA. That’s a huge reason why he invested in the Chicago Sky. So, it is only obvious that the veteran keeps tabs on the league and follows everything that happens around it. Amid this, one thing that caught D’Wade’s eye was the immense amount of negativity that has been spread around the league. By now, everyone knows that there’s a lot of online speculation about the Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese rivalry.

On one hand, some argue there’s no real reason for Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese to be at odds. On the other hand, many believe the rivalry is actually beneficial, fueling media attention and elevating the visibility of the WNBA. But where does Dwyane Wade stand in all of this? According to the Hall of Famer, the debate itself misses the point—because to him, none of it really matters.

“Everyone has so much negativity when it’s about do they like each other or don’t they like each other? It don’t matter if they like each other or not, right? If they’re not playing on the same team, right? No, if they’re competing, we want them not to like each other. Everybody, so that doesn’t matter. But what matters is they all came together to uplift this league.“ Wade recently said on his podcast.

Although Wade did not take names, he simply stated that it doesn’t matter whether two players like each other or not unless they’re on the same team. Which does seem fair. That’s what competition is all about, right? Do you think that all NBA players like each other? No, and that’s what spices up the league. Wade then also stated that the only thing that does actually matter is that everyone within the WNBA space came together during the All-Star weekend to make one statement.

Yes, it is about the current ongoing WNBA conflict with the CBA. If you haven’t already heard about it, the players are demanding a rightful share of the business that they’ve built and want to improve work conditions. Not just that, they also want to create a platform for the players and generations to follow. This is the matter that affects not only the players but the owners as well, which is why Dwyane Wade wants things to work out between the two organizations. Meanwhile, he revealed the WNBA’s billion-dollar vision.

Dwyane Wade talks about WNBA’s billion-dollar vision

It’s no secret that former Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade has been one of the most vocal supporters of the WNBA. Wade has always expressed his interest in the women’s game, all the way from watching WNBA games courtside to owning his own franchise. However, many often wonder what led Wade to show this much interest in the league. Recently, the veteran revealed what he loves about the league and also its incredible vision for the future.

While on his podcast, Wade gave the WNBA a shoutout for always using their platform to raise their voices. He credited the league for understanding and utilizing their platform to raise awareness, something we all saw during this season’s All-Star Weekend, when everyone from the crowd to the players demanded equal pay. However, what Dwyane Wade spoke about next is something that caught everyone’s attention.

“I think the entire league wants the same thing. It’s not just the players. I think overall everybody wants to get to that place where they all getting into that money. The ownership wants it too. You want to get to that place where you see billion-dollar valuations, too. Like everybody is in the same place. So them putting their shirts on wasn’t disrespectful to nothing. It was just more so like this entire league wants to see the steps go, you know, where it needs to go. It was cool to see.” Wade said.

The NBA legend and Chicago Sky owner pointed out that everyone involved with the league wants the same thing: Equal pay. Not just that, everyone, ranging all the way from the players to owners, is motivated to take the WNBA to the next level. Wade mentioned that all the owners want to see billion-dollar valuations for their franchise, just like the NBA. Then he even mentioned that the players protesting during the All-Star Weekend weren’t disrespectful but instead a message of unity. Now, will October see a new dawn, or will rotten rules continue to be served in a fresh package?