Dwyane Wade has made an immediate impact on the Sky.
Less than 48 hours after his -investment in his hometown WNBA franchise, Wade sat courtside at the All-Star Game in Las Vegas. As soon as it ended, one star after another approached him.
From league MVP A’ja Wilson to Mystics guard Natasha Cloud, Wade shook hands and exchanged pleasantries with players for nearly 30 minutes. Before the court cleared, Wade pursued a conversation with the Sky’s Kahleah Copper.
“I gotta get to my girl,” Wade remarked as he made his way through a small crowd toward the Sky’s three-time All-Star.
As the pair stood together, Wade leaned in to share some words that were meant to remain private. He already has made it clear he knows Copper is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year, and she has indicated Wade’s investment will have an impact on her future.
What remains to be seen is the effect Wade’s investment will have on other free agents. His magnetism indicated it will be significant. Along with Copper, Cloud and former Niles West and Notre Dame star Jewell Loyd are unrestricted free agents. Another is Skylar Diggins-Smith, who grew up in South Bend, Indiana.
“He posted basically put your money where your mouth is,” Loyd said. “He’s doing that, so hopefully, other people will follow.”
Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan was also courtside with his daughters at the All-Star Game. Walking off the court, he said he’s eager to learn more about the process of investing in the WNBA from Wade.
The NBA’s new collective-bargaining agreement allows players to own up to a 4% stake in WNBA franchises not owned by an NBA team.
“I can’t wait to talk to him about it,” DeRozan told the Sun-Times. “It’s definitely something that I think me and other NBA players should be interested in.”
Wade has been in talks with Sky ownership since February, when he was approached by principal owner Michael Alter and operating chairman/owner Nadia Rawlinson during NBA All-Star Weekend in Utah. The three-time NBA champion also has had conversations with players. He met the team at practice a month ago and had shared a lunch with a number of players and ownership earlier in the season.
The consensus from Sky players is that Wade will be a conduit from them to ownership regarding what professional athletes need to be successful. Guard Dana Evans said players already have felt comfortable voicing their desires to ownership. But Wade’s presence gives the team added comfort that promises made won’t be empty.
“We want to make it attractive to come to Chicago,” Evans said. “Like he said on [ABC], we’re trying to get where Vegas is because, believe it or not, Vegas and New York have the best facilities. So they’re going to get the free agents. We have to pick it up and see where it takes us.”
The 13-time All-Star has hit the ground running, meeting with Alter and Rawlinson in Vegas. He also will attend the Sky’s next home game, July 25 against the Aces.
Wade’s intentions are to be as involved as the opportunity allows him to be, and Sky CEO Adam Fox echoed those sentiments. It’s clear Wade brings knowledge about what is required to be a champion, a quality the Sky have lacked until now.
“To play in this game, to play with the greats, to be a championship organization, we’re going to have to keep improving,” Wade told the Sun-Times. “We’re going to have to do things differently than we’ve done them in the past.
“I don’t know everything. I’m learning. But what I do know is Nadia is committed. I know that Michael is committed. We’re going to see what we can do in the city to make sure we see continued growth and change.”
