Self-proclaimed basketball purist Kevin Durant really, really loves the WNBA. His favorite women’s basketball player is Jonquel Jones. He's super pumped about the Houston Comets returning to the league in 2027. He often shows up courtside to games supporting the W’s next generation of elite players, from French sensation Dominique Malonga to Sparks star Cameron Brink.
Simply put, Durant doesn’t play around when it comes to the WNBA.
So when a reporter at a Rockets presser asked him a question about the non-basketball-related drama and discourse shrouding the women’s league this season, the two-time NBA champ was prepared.
“You’ve been a huge proponent and supporter of women’s basketball. But I’m curious, given the current state of the WNBA ... there’s such divisiveness around the game. You had a former teammate that’s been involved with some shenanigans around the league. I’m curious just what your perspective is on what’s going on around it, and how you continue to support the league,” a Houston reporter asked him.
"All that stuff is noise, man,” said Durant. “WNBA is flourishing. Look what these women are doing. Look at the money they made over the last few years. Look at the visibility of their league, they got four, five signature athletes that are representing major brands. These women have brands for themselves, [are] businesswomen for themselves.
“... A lot of that stuff, the politics they bring into sports nowadays, I understand the messaging behind what they trying to do, but a person like me who just strictly cares for the purity of the sport, I do not give a f--- about that. I care about flourishing and pushing the league forward, and that’s what’s happening right now.”
KD on the drama around the WNBA:
— Underdog WNBA (@UnderdogWNBA) September 22, 2026
"All that stuff is noise, man. WNBA is flourishing. Look what these women are doing. Look at the money they made over the last few years ... The politics they bring into sports nowadays ... I do not give a fuck about that."
(via @ohnohedidnt24) pic.twitter.com/9VZKGJSgv2
Kevin Durant’s continued support for the WNBA matters now more than ever
The Rockets reporter was alluding to the “shenanigans” of Enes Kanter Freedom, Durant’s former Thunder teammate, who declared for the 2027 WNBA draft in August after he announced himself as a woman, citing the league’s eligibility requirements. His announcement came on the heels of Sophie Cunningham telling ESPN that she opposes transgender participation in women’s and girls’ sports. Later that month, ESPN reported that Kanter Freedom was not eligible to play in the WNBA.
Rather than focus on Kanter Freedom’s “publicity stunt,” as a WNBA source described it to Front Office Sports, Durant chose to highlight all the good happening in the league at the moment.
For a brief refresher, that includes the WNBA introducing million-dollar player salaries for the first time in its history. Marquee superstars like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have secured major brand deals and increased the visibility of a league that refuses to stop growing in the face of ongoing politically and racially charged social discourse. Jason Sudeikis was spotted Clark’s signature sneakers, the Nike Caitlin 1s, during a Ted Lasso red carpet premiere last month, and Chiefs coach Andy Reid recently showed off his own Chiefs-inspired Caitlin 1s in a social media video.
Big Red was the first to receive @CaitlinClark22’s new Chiefs inspired shoes 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Kz4znVfN10
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) September 22, 2026
Two things can be true at the same time. The WNBA has never been as divisive as it is right now. That’s what the league’s next commissioner will be in charge of throwing water on after Cathy Engelbert steps down at the end of the calendar year. But the WNBA also is as popular as it’s ever been, with viewership and attendance on the rise and more avid fans buying into the product year after year.
At heart, Durant is just an ethical hooper who loves the WNBA and cares about its growth as much as the players do. Aside from showing up for the W’s players at their games, the Rockets star has a well-documented history of investing in women’s sports: he founded a girls’ basketball team that competes on the Nike Girls EYBL circuit and is dedicated to developing female athletes on and off the court. This past March, Durant and the University of Texas announced a NIL partnership that will celebrate a select group of Longhorn student-athletes, with Texas forward Madison Booker becoming the first athlete to receive access to Durant’s exclusive footwear and apparel.
While the WNBA doesn’t require strong endorsements from high-profile male athletes like Durant to thrive, it still helps shift the conversation back to the bright future of women’s basketball—and away from what has no business belonging in the sport.
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