Kevin Durant didn’t leave much room for debate when asked about the noise surrounding the WNBA.
At a Rockets press conference, the two-time NBA champion was pressed on the “divisiveness” around the league and on the “shenanigans” involving one of his former teammates. Durant’s response was blunt and unmistakably pro-WNBA.
"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.”
The question came after a Houston reporter asked Durant for his perspective on the current state of the league and how he keeps supporting it despite the off-court drama. Durant, who has long been vocal about his love for women’s basketball, made clear where he stands: with the product on the floor, and with the players driving the league forward.
The reporter was referring to Enes Kanter Freedom, Durant’s former Thunder teammate, who declared for the 2027 WNBA draft in August after announcing himself as a woman and pointing to the league’s eligibility rules. That announcement followed Sophie Cunningham’s comments to 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.
Durant didn’t lean into that controversy. Instead, he pointed to a league that has seen real growth in the last few years.
That growth includes the WNBA introducing million-dollar player salaries for the first time in its history. It also includes marquee stars like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese landing major brand deals and raising the league’s profile even further. The visibility keeps climbing, and the league keeps expanding in the middle of politically and racially charged debate.
The momentum has shown up beyond the court, too. Jason Sudeikis was seen wearing Clark’s signature Nike Caitlin 1s at 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
There’s no question the WNBA is dealing with plenty of friction right now, and the league’s next commissioner will inherit that when Cathy Engelbert steps down at the end of the calendar year. But there’s another reality sitting right beside it: the league is more popular than ever, with viewership and attendance climbing and fans continuing to buy in.
Durant’s support for the WNBA isn’t new. He’s been courtside for games, backing players like French sensation Dominique Malonga and Sparks star Cameron Brink, and he’s said Jonquel Jones is his favorite women’s basketball player. He’s also built a track record of investing in women’s sports, including founding a girls’ basketball team that plays on the Nike Girls EYBL circuit and focuses on developing female athletes on and off the court.
This past March, Durant and the University of Texas announced a NIL partnership that will spotlight 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.
Durant’s message was simple: the league’s growth matters more than the chatter around it. And in a moment when the conversation can get pulled in every direction but basketball, that kind of clarity goes a long way.
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