Kevin Durant says WNBA is flourishing despite culture wars 'noise' - USA Today
HOUSTON – Kevin Durant is not a fan of the latest WNBA drama.
The 16-time NBA All-Star and Houston Rockets star forward is a staunch supporter of women's basketball at the professional, college and youth levels.
But the WNBA has been gripped by controversy this season over the participation of transgender athletes after Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham said in July that young girls playing sports "shouldn't have to go against biological men," despite the fact that no transgender woman has ever played in the WNBA.
Politically conservative organizations and activists seized Cunningham's comments as an opportunity to highlight anti-transgender talking points. In August, former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom, who played parts of two NBA seasons with Durant in Oklahoma City from 2014 to 2016, declared himself eligible for the 2027 WNBA Draft on social media and said he identified as a woman. Earlier this month, Kanter Freedom sued the Chicago Sky after he was ejected from a game against the Indiana Fever and subsequently banned from Chicago's Wintrust Arena.
When Durant was asked on Sept. 22 at Rockets preseason media day about the current "divisiveness" in the WNBA, he pushed back and defended the league.
"All that stuff just be noise, man. (The) WNBA is flourishing," Durant said. "Look what these women are doing. Look at the money they're making over the last few years. Look at the visibility of their league. You got four or five signature athletes that are representing major brands. These women have brands for themselves, they're businesswomen for themselves outside of the game. So a lot of that stuff, you know the politics that they bring into sports nowadays, I understand the messaging behind what they're trying to do, but a person like me who just strictly cares for the purity of the sport, I do not give a (expletive) about none of that. I care about the flourishing and pushing the league forward, and that's what's happening right now."
Durant is a longtime WNBA supporter and frequently attends games. He's formed friendships and mentorships with WNBA players including Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers, Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese and Seattle Storm center Dominique Malonga. Durant's media company, Boardroom, often highlights WNBA athletes.
Beyond that, Durant funds a grassroots Nike EYBL girls team, Team Durant, and also partners with Nike to sponsor an NIL initiative for athletes at the University of Texas, his alma mater. In March, Longhorns star forward Madison Booker became the first player to sign with Team KD.
The WNBA is in the final week of its regular season, with playoffs beginning Sept. 27. However, the league's on-court storylines have often been obscured by the transgender athlete debate, with demonstrators showing up outside and inside WNBA arenas to show support for Cunningham and support for transgender rights. The Seattle Storm suspended a team co-owner after she allegedly cursed out two fans who sat courtside to support Cunningham. A security guard at an Atlanta Dream vs. Indiana Fever game asked two fans to cover up their XX-XY Athletics shirts.
Legislation passed in 27 states barring transgender girls and women from participating in women's sports is aimed at a small portion of the population – 1% of people aged 13 and older in the U.S. identify as transgender, according to a 2025 study by the Williams Institute at UCLA Law.
The Human Rights Campaign reported in 2023 that 19% of transgender youth nationwide were playing sports, including fewer than 1,300 who played sports in school.
