Dwyane Wade continues to share his family’s milestone moments worth celebrating. On Thursday, Sept. 25, the retired NBA star shared his pride as his daughter Zaya officially began her college journey.
Dwayne posted a candid photo of the 18-year-old on Instagram Stories, showing Zaya dressed in a gray cardigan, plaid mini-skirt, and sneakers. Across the image, he wrote the simple but proud caption, “First Day of College!” and tagged his daughter’s account.
The former Miami Heat guard, 42, has often spoken about how central fatherhood is in his life. He is dad to son Zaire, 23, and daughter Zaya with ex-wife Siohvaughn Funches, shares son Xavier, 11, with Aja Metoyer, and welcomed daughter Kaavia, 6, with wife Gabrielle Union. He also became legal guardian to his nephew, Dahveon Morris, 21.
Just a few months earlier, Dwyane was celebrating Zaya’s graduation from high school. In June, he documented the day with videos and snapshots of their father-daughter moments. One clip showed him walking up proudly to take photos with Zaya, who was holding an award. “Head of the School,” he wrote on one Story, before posting another with her diploma in hand. “We did it Joe!” he added, a mix of joy and humor.
The award itself, the 2024-2025 Head of School’s Award, was also highlighted in a close-up. Wade later shared footage of his daughter’s graduation walk, smiling every step of the way.
While the proud dad often takes the spotlight when sharing family updates, Zaya has made clear just how much his support has shaped her. Speaking with Harper’s Bazaar for the magazine’s Icons of 2023 series, she credited her father with being her greatest inspiration.
“My dad is who truly inspires me the most,” she explained. “Kids always tend to look up to their parents, but not only did I idolize him growing up and see him as a real person, I realize that he has played such an essential role in supporting me and the ways I choose to present myself to the world.”
She added that his commitment to learning and growing alongside her has been a model she hopes to carry into her own adult life. “He’s been so supportive and my biggest advocate. He took the time and learned and grew. I want to have that same mentality going through anything in life,” said Zaya.
Zaya publicly came out as transgender in 2020. Her announcement was met with widespread support and sparked important conversations about gender identity. Since then, she continues to used her platform to advocate for the rights and visibility of transgender and queer communities.
Photo Credit: Zaya Wade Instagram; Dwyane Wade Instagram
