The WNBA concluded its regular season yesterday and the
playoffs start Thursday. WNBA President Val Ackerman: "It's
clear there is an audience." She said the WNBA could expand
by two teams and a league source told Cliff Mehrtens of the
CHARLOTTE OBSERVER that Washington and Orlando have shown
"considerable interest" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 8/24).
FIRST YEAR AND OUT: In Salt Lake, Lya Wodraska, on the
WNBA's first season: "The seats were filled, play improved
and there were no off-court fiascos. Call the WNBA's
inaugural season a success" (SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, 8/24). In
Detroit, Drew Sharp: "The WNBA's first season was a success,
but only because there was no point of reference to measure
possible failure. ... Following year one, the WNBA remains
in the crawling stage. It will eventually walk and then run
because of its financial strength. But not even financial
deep pockets can make people instantly care which direction
they'll run" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 8/25). In NEWSDAY, Steve
Zipay writes that the WNBA has "exceeded expectations in
attendance, sponsorship, TV ratings and merchandise sales."
Zipay notes the league's PR mission, adding that "in another
unusual move, all the teams are required to tape their games
and provide five minutes of highlights for the NBA to edit
and put up on a satellite to be plucked down for use on
stations not only in small towns in the [U.S.], but also in
100 countries" (NEWSDAY, 8/25). But in yesterday's NEWSDAY,
Barbara Walder wrote, "There's been too much sugar, too
little spice and everything has been much, much too nice.
... Under [the NBA's] thumb, this faux season has been a
failure, competition has shamefully been turned into
exhibition and the NBA's wretched excess -- so little to do
with sports and so much to do with selling women short --
has obscured the real success. ... Why not turn the WNBA
into a noble failure? Having proved women promotable, why
doesn't the NBA marry its strengths to the ABL's and
together create a premier, in-season women's [league] unlike
anything yet seen in women's sports?" (NEWSDAY, 8/24).
