Through nearly one-fourth of the season, the WNBA is
averaging approximately 9,500 -- "far more than the 4,000
the league had anticipated," according to Jim Utter of the
CHARLOTTE OBSERVER. But WNBA Commissioner Val Ackerman
said, "Our job is to develop a stable fan base. We have had
a lot of people coming who are curious and want to see if
this is something they would like. They may come just once
or they may come every game" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 7/10).
For complete WNBA attendance, see (#31).
HOOPS HOTBED IN PHOENIX: In Phoenix, 11,892 attended
Wednesday's Comets-Mercury game. The ARIZONA REPUBLIC's Bob
Cohn wrote that the game "wasn't art, but it was a sport,
assuming a form many are finding entertaining. ... Still,
the WNBA will have to get better. Attendance in many cities
is slipping now that the novelty has worn off, and it
remains to be seen what will happen to the Mercury crowds
next summer once the Diamondbacks are up and running"
(ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 7/10). REPUBLIC columnist Jim Gintonio:
"It will take more than fan acceptance in Phoenix and New
York for the WNBA to survive" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 7/10).
THE GREAT DEBATE: The next edition of HBO's "Real
Sports" will feature the ABL and WNBA in a piece titled "Two
Leagues of Their Own?" (HARTFORD COURANT, 7/11).
