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Leagues and Governing Bodies

WNBA CAUTIONS AGAINST SOPHOMORE SLUMP AS SEASON TIPS OFF

          The WNBA's second season gets underway tonight with
     four games on the schedule.  Lifetime TV will televise the
     Liberty-Rockers game live at 8:00pm ET.  In Cleveland, Liz
     Robbins previews the second season and writes that "[e]arly
     indications at the ticket office, from sponsors and, most
     important, on the court" show the league is "poised to
     grow."  WNBA President Val Ackerman is projecting an average
     attendance of 10,000, up from last year's 9,084 average.  In
     addition, NBC, ESPN and Lifetime will again televise one
     national game a week, while local games on RSNs "have
     doubled" to 60.  Robbins says that sponsors who "hesitated"
     to support the league last year, such as McDonald's, "are
     flocking to join" in (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 6/10). 
          MARKETING 101: In N.Y., Richard Wilner reports that as
     the WNBA "cranks up the marketing machine," media buyers
     "for the most part ... are still standing on the sidelines
     waiting to see" if the league is "just a curiosity or can
     grow into a genuine programming power house."  Media Buyer
     Paul Schulman: "Sometimes I feel if not for the marketing
     greatness of the NBA, the WNBA might be more like the rival
     ABL, which is close to an underground sport."  Wilner notes
     that "[m]any analysts" give Ackerman "high grades for her
     work so far" (N.Y. POST, 6/11).  Also in N.Y., Kristie
     Ackert writes that, with the addition of 40 college stars
     "adding depth and increased competition," the WNBA "has to
     sell the quality of the game" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 6/11).
          A PERFECT UNION? In Hartford, Lori Riley writes that
     while the WNBA's first season saw "much success ... some
     players still don't make enough to live comfortably,  That,
     coupled with a short season many would like to see
     lengthened, has some talking about forming a union"
     (HARTFORD COURANT, 6/11).  Ackerman, interviewed in the AZ
     REPUBLIC says, "If the union came to pass, they would have
     to identify what the issues would be from their standpoint. 
     If it were to happen, we would try to be as constructive as
     we can in dealing with the issues" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 6/11).
          SWOOP, HERE SHE IS: Comets C Sheryl Swoopes, who missed
     two practices earlier this week, returned yesterday and "all
     parties involved," including Coach Van Chancellor, said that
     any problems had been solved.  The "major reason" Swoopes
     gave for her absence involved baby-sitting problems (HOUSTON
     CHRONICLE, 6/11)....Ackerman said that the league will not
     use 7'2" Starzz rookie C Malgorzata Dydek in its '98 ad
     campaign "because our marketing work is laid in advance." 
     Dydek's agent Trisonia Abraham said Dydek has received "a
     few endorsement offers," both nationally and in UT (DESERET
     NEWS, 6/10)....The league relaunches its Web site today at
     www.WNBA.com with new features, including live in-game box
     scores and audio broadcasts of each game (WNBA). 

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