Kevin Durant is a big fan of the WNBA and says the league's MVP frontrunner 'reminds me of myself'

• Kevin Durant - the cover athlete of this year's NBA 2K video game - is a big fan of the WNBA.
• The Brooklyn Nets superstar said he sees himself in the league's top MVP contender, Jonquel Jones.
• "She reminds me of myself with her length and how she shoots the ball," Durant told Insider.

Kevin Durant is an NBA champion, league MVP, 11-time All-Star, member of the elusive 50-40-90 club, and, most recently, the cover athlete for NBA 2K22.

The Brooklyn Nets sharpshooter is sharing his NBA 2K spotlight with Chicago Sky superstar Candace Parker as the iconic video game franchise makes history with its first-ever woman cover athlete. But Durant likely doesn't mind; he's a major WNBA fan himself.

"I enjoy watching the WNBA," Durant told Insider. "I pretty much follow all the girls and try to keep up with the box scores and see how they are doing each night and watch as much as I can."

"You know, the game of basketball is incredible no matter who is on the floor," he added.

Durant means it. He's attended plenty of WNBA games throughout his career and was spotted sitting courtside at a New York Liberty game this June alongside Nets and Liberty owners Joe Tsai and Clara Wu Tsai.

-WNBA (@WNBA) June 24, 2021

But his favorite player isn't necessarily one from his New York team - even if his "Boardroom" team recently tapped Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu as a brand ambassador. Though he admits he's a "huge fan of... so many" WNBA stars, he cited 6-foot-6 do-it-all forward Jonquel Jones as someone whose game reminds him of his own.

"Jonquel Jones is the one that comes off top of mind," Durant said. "She reminds me of myself with her length and how she shoots the ball. I'm a huge fan of her."

Jones is a seemingly unstoppable force for the Connecticut Sun, who sit atop the Eastern Conference at 14-6 on the season. She ranks second in the WNBA with 21.0 points per game this season and has added a league-leading 11.1 rebounds per game.

And with a top-10 ranking in minutes, made field goals, made two-pointers, two-point percentage, made three-pointers, three-point percentage, free throws attempted, offensive and defensive rebounds, and steals on top of her points and rebound totals, the Freeport, Bahamas, native is a sure-fire contender to win WBA MVP. The three-time All-star currently owns the best odds to take home the award at the end of the season.

Durant also noted that he's a fan of Charli Collier, a rookie for the Dallas Wings. Like the 6-foot-10 NBA star, Collier was a standout for the Texas Longhorns before going pro. But unlike Durant - who was selected by the Seattle SuperSonics with the second pick in the 2007 NBA Draft - the 6-foot-5 center was the first overall pick in her draft.

"Charli Collier went to Texas," Durant said. "And [she was] the number one pick, so I follow."

He does more than that. Durant FaceTimed Collier ahead of her big moment walking across the virtual draft stage in April. The two former Texas stars discussed how to handle the spotlight, whether she should change her uniform number as she heads into the next stage of her career, and wearing each other's jerseys in the tunnel.

And in May, Durant put his money where his mouth is when it comes to the WNBA and women's sports in general by investing in Just Women's Sports, a sports media start-up aimed at elevating women's sports coverage. Even still, he's committed to doing more, because "the attention around women's sports definitely needs to grow."

"Once people build up the love for the game, they'll understand a little bit more," Durant said of the WNBA. "They love that we [in the NBA] are athletic, and we can get over the top of the rim and excite people with our athleticism. And a lot of fans feel the women's game is lacking that, but if you really lock in and enjoy the skill and fundamentals of the game, it's even higher to watch."

"So, just watch more, try to take in a game more, and have an open mind when you're watching the game," he added.