Women's Basketball League Bounces Into Third Season - WNBA

Ebony, June, 1999 by Kelly Starling

WHEN WNBA stars such as Sheryl Swoopes and Lisa Leslie came of age, there was no professional women's basketball team in the U.S. they could dream of joining. Though one American league survived for three years, most Sisters with game had to take their skills overseas or tuck their hopes away after playing college ball, a dream deferred by a depressing reality.

That was then.

Today, youngsters can yearn to be like Mike or Sheryl or Lisa or Cynthia Cooper.

The WNBA, which explodes into its third season this month, has created new opportunities for women athletes as it soars beyond all expectations of what the league could achieve. More than one million fans attended WNBA games in 1997 and 1998, including celebrities such as Spike Lee, Tyra Banks, Rosie O'Donnell, Gregory Hines and Penny Marshall. Promoters expect this year's attendance to shatter those figures as more people learn there's truth in the hype: "The ladies got game"

"We are very excited about where the league is now," says Renee Brown, the WNBA's director of player personnel. "It's important because it gives women a great opportunity to continue their basketball careers professionally by playing in the States in front of their Family and friends. WHAT excites us the most is our players acting as positive role models for young girls and boys in our country and all over the world."

Two expansion teams will join the ranks this season--the Minnesota Lynx and the Orlando Miracle--bringing the total roster to 12. With the folding of the ,women's American Basketball League (ABE) in December. ninny people look forward to the infusion of new, talent and vitality into the WNBA. As evidence of the league's growing popularity, the New York Liberty will host the league's first All-Star Game at Madison Square Garden on July 14.

"We look forward to showcasing our best players amid the exciting atmosphere of Madison Square Garden, in front of a national television audience and our great New York fans," says WNBA president Val Ackerman.

Even as the league prepares for its third season, there is increasing evidence of the star quality of women athletes. In one recent sports magazine poll, boys and girls named Lisa Leslie and Rebecca Lobo among their favorite female sports figures. Major advertisers--Nike, Sears, General Motors, The Milk Council and Black Opal--have signed on to the game. Manufacturers are flocking to produce WNBA memorabilia, including Barbies, balls and backboards, even watches and clocks. And the raise-the-roof gesture by Cynthia Cooper, the league's two-time MVP, is the hottest thing since spectators began doing the wave.

Brown says the enthusiasm reflects the important space the league fills in the sports world. In the WNBA tribute book, A Celebration: Commemorating the Birth of a League, by Kelly Whiteside, Brown talks about the excitement she witnessed among people as she scouted players. "I heard from people who dreamed of playing pro and maybe hadn't played in 10 years and maybe had four kids, she says. "Thousands of phone calls from players, husbands of players, uncles, fathers, the mayor of the town ... Boyfriends calling about their girlfriends, husbands about wives, kids about moms. You name it; we got it."

At the league's inception, some critics complained about low starting salaries for WNBA players as compared to NBA stars. But as a result of April bargaining sessions, players will enjoy more benefits and job security--better salaries, a percentage of royalties, from player-identified licensed products, comprehensive insurance and retirement plans, and tuition reimbursement.

"This deal is the first of its kind in women's team sports," says Ackerman, "and it reflects our commitment to providing WNBA players with a first-class working environment."

As people pack the stands and rash to buy WNBA keepsakes, they also get a lesson in gender equality. Some of the biggest supporters of women players are basketball stars such as Charles Barkley, Shaquille O'Neal and Reggie Miller, whose sister Cheryl coaches the Phoenix Mercury Last summer when Detroiter Darren Nichols and a couple of male friends went to cheek out the Detroit Shock. they crone home impressed by what they saw. "I like the way women's basketball is played." says the former coach of a boys' basketball team. "It's not as athletic as the men's game--there's no dunking or high-flying--but it's just as exciting from a pure basketball standpoint. The skill level is just as great as the other NBA players."

Nichols, who regularly attends Detroit Pistons' and college games, says he expects the enthusiasm to grow as the sport catches on. "It just takes time, just like anything else," he says. "Now that the ABL has folded, the game will get even more exciting. Having all of the top players in one league together will make for some good basketball."

It also makes for good community service. In the first year, the league began the tradition of players presenting basketballs at each game to a select group of children. Athletes often staved late after games signing jerseys for fans. Many players also promote public awareness, serving as spokespersons for issues such as breast cancer, a disease that personally affected the mothers of Rebecca Lobe and Cynthia Cooper. Jamila Wideman, daughter of author John Edgar Wideman, sponsors "Hoopin' with Jamila" for kids.