WNBA Star Breanna Stewart Responds to 'Potter' Shoe Colab Criticism

Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty forward and one of the most visible out queer athletes in professional basketball, released her latest signature basketball shoe—the Stewie 4—in partnership with Puma during the WNBA All-Star Weekend. Among the designs unveiled was a special edition inspired by the Harry Potter universe, featuring motifs such as Hedwig and Nagini, and accompanied by a themed athleisure collection. Stewart appeared in promotional photography for the collection, further underscoring her personal connection to the project .

However, the launch immediately drew criticism from fans and LGBTQ+ advocates who questioned the decision to celebrate Harry Potter in light of author J.K. Rowling’s public stance against transgender rights. Rowling has become known for her vocal opposition to trans inclusion and recently announced funding for legal efforts to exclude trans women from women’s spaces in the UK, actions described by many as antithetical to LGBTQ+ equality .

The backlash was swift and visible on social media, with fans expressing confusion and disappointment over Stewart’s choice to associate her brand with a franchise so closely linked to Rowling’s anti-trans views . Stewart, who has long been an outspoken ally to LGBTQ+ and specifically transgender communities, was confronted with a dilemma: could she celebrate a beloved cultural touchstone while actively rejecting the values of its creator?

In response, Stewart directly addressed the criticism in interviews, expressing both her shock at the intensity of the reaction and her nuanced position on the issue. “How can I have a world where I can do both, where I can talk about my shoes of Hedwig and , but also continuing to actively show support in the transgender community and making it so these shoes are a direct reflection of that, to counterbalance everything that J.K. Rowling has done and said,” Stewart said in an interview with The Next. “Because there should be a platform where people from all communities, LGBTQ+, transgender communities, can also love Harry Potter and stick up against J.K. Rowling and her peers” .

The intersection of fandom and activism has become increasingly fraught as public figures are called upon to account for the broader implications of their endorsements. Some advocates argue that any Harry Potter collaboration, regardless of intent, ultimately benefits Rowling financially and symbolically, given her status as the creator and rights-holder of the franchise. Sources familiar with licensing arrangements, but unaffiliated with Stewart, noted that the financial impact of such deals on Rowling’s fortune is likely negligible in the context of her overall wealth. Nonetheless, critics maintain that any revenue stream, however small, contributes to her platform and ongoing campaigns against trans inclusion .

Stewart, for her part, emphasized her ongoing commitment to LGBTQ+ causes and made clear that her intention was to reclaim beloved cultural elements for all fans, including those in the transgender community. The shoes themselves, she indicated, are meant as a statement of solidarity and as a way to provide visibility for trans and queer fans within the world of sports .

The controversy highlights the broader challenge faced by LGBTQ+ individuals and allies in navigating cultural products tied to problematic creators. While some fans advocate for total disengagement from Rowling’s work as a matter of principle, others, like Stewart, seek to create inclusive spaces within fandom and to separate the art from the artist. Many in the queer and trans community are divided on the issue, with some seeing Stewart’s collaboration as an opportunity to subvert Rowling’s exclusionary rhetoric, and others as an unfortunate misstep in the ongoing fight for trans rights.