Dwyane Wade has joined the ownership group of his hometown WNBA team.
The Chicago native was announced as a new investor in the Sky on Friday.
“There’s something special growing in the WNBA, and something even more special growing in my hometown,” Wade said in a Twitter video. “I am excited to be able to invest in the Chicago Sky and support these amazing women. Let’s build Sky-Town.”
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The Sky gave a warm welcome to their new owner, as well:
“This is meaningful for the players, and this is meaningful for the city as a whole,” Sky co-owner and operating chairman Nadia Rawlinson told ESPN. “Dwyane Wade is a son of Chicago. And the thing that differentiates us, I think, from other franchises is that we are Chicago. We are the future of Chicago. We are the culture of Chicago. We are in it and of it, and he is very much sort of a main character in that story. And we're just pleased and thrilled at what the future can bring with both of us working together.”
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The Sky sold an approximate 10% stake of the franchise in June to a group that includes Chicago Cubs co-owner Laura Ricketts. Michael Alter is still the Sky’s primary owner.
The move marks Wade’s latest venture into sports ownership. He is part of the ownership groups for the NBA’s Utah Jazz and MLS’ Real Salt Lake. His percentage stake in the Sky was not disclosed.
Wade was born in Chicago and went to high school in the suburb of Oak Lawn, Ill. He spent the majority of his NBA career with the Miami Heat and won three titles in South Beach, but he got to play for the Chicago Bulls during the 2016-17 season.
The Sky won their first WNBA title in 2021. The team saw the departure of several franchise greats, including Candace Parker, Courtney Vandersloot and Allie Quigley, this past offseason and is 8-12 so far in the 2023 regular season.
With his new stake in the team, Wade is excited to see where the team goes from here.
“No pun intended, but the sky's the limit,” he said.
