Gabrielle Union and her hilariously expressive daughter, Kaavia James Union Wade, better known to fans as “Shady Baby,” recently stole hearts (and laughs) in a viral interview. The mother-daughter duo shared playful insights into their lives. Fans couldn’t help but admire Kaavia’s energy, which she undoubtedly inherits from her NBA legend father, Dwyane Wade.

In the beautiful exchange, when Gabrielle asked Kaavia, “When you come in Mommy’s bathroom, or my closet, what do you always come to steal?” the tiny but mighty kid didn’t hesitate before replying, “Your shoes!” The conversation got even funnier as Kaavia explained that she likes to wear high heels “because I love getting bigger with them.”

It got even better when Gabrielle, fully embracing her daughter’s thoughts, asked, “Like you want to be tall like Angel Reese?” referencing the 6’3″ Chicago Sky star and NCAA champion,

NCAA champion, who’s now a WNBA All-Star in her second season as of March 2025, dazzling fans with her on-court dominance and off-court charisma. You don’t have to guess too hard to know that Kaavia responded with a quick “Yeah” to that one.

The conversation left us speculating, could basketball be in Kaavia’s future? With Dwyane Wade’s Hall of Fame basketball genes and Kaavia’s confidence (and love for heels), who knows? Maybe we’ll get to see her stealing spotlight on the hardwood someday, but for now, we’re just enjoying her stealing Gab’s shoes.

Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union’s take on their kids’ futures

Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade have been vocal about their parenting approach since supporting daughter Zaya’s transition in 2020. In an interview with buzzfeed Gab said: “As our children show up, it is our job to believe them when they tell us who they are and not impose our dreams, hopes, fears, and desires on them.” The statement came off as a powerful parenting message, clearly indicating their accepting lifestyle.

She went on and added “It’s our job to be loving, compassionate, protective guides for our children, but their lives are their lives and we have to respect that,” telling the viewers that their relationship is built on mutual love and respect. This philosophy also extends to Kaavia’s childhood. When asked “what’s the most important thing you want to teach Kaavia?” Dwayne responded in an exclusive story- “Compassion for herself.”

Dwyane’s influence also ties into Kaavia’s Reese fandom. As a WNBA advocate and part-owner of the Chicago Sky, Wade has praised Reese’s impact, often bringing Kaavia to games and WNBA events, where she sees stars like Reese shine.

So to us, the Angel Reese comparison appears to be just lighthearted bonding. Even though Gab has been spotted posting Kaavia’s playground adventures a few times, her Instagram also documents shady baby’s dress ups and dance parties.

For now, Kaavia’s stealing hearts and heels, but with her parents’ support and Reese as inspo, she’s got endless possibilities ahead. Who knows? Maybe one day she’ll trade those heels for sneakers and light up a court—or a runway—like her idol. This strongly establishes one thing, all of their kids have future options wide open for themselves and will grow up to be their own person.