As the WNBA begins its third season tonight, the league
"promises to provide -- finally -- an on-court product that
merits its fancy packaging," according to Amy Shipley of the
WASHINGTON POST. The new players from the ABL are expected
to provide "polish to the WNBA product ... which dreams of
becoming the first women's professional basketball league to
achieve financial stability" in the U.S. (WASHINGTON POST,
6/10). In Cleveland, Liz Robbins: "The WNBA tips off on the
strength of the rival women's pro basketball league it
crushed and consumed" (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 6/9). In
N.Y., Judy Battista writes the WNBA "is finally poised to
present a level of play that will back up the ubiquitous
promotion" (N.Y. TIMES, 6/10). In L.A., Karen Crouse: "Who
knows, maybe the melding of the ABL and WNBA will rocket the
women's game into orbit. All we can say is they better
strap themselves in tight because it's going to be a bumpy
ride" (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 6/10). ESPN.com's Michelle Smith:
"There is no doubt the WNBA has improved its quality of
players. It remains to be seen whether that will
immediately translate into improved quality of play"
(ESPN.com, 6/9). FSN's Keith Olbermann: "It is now a
monopoly; its depth of talent is perhaps unmatched in
American sport" (FSN "Primetime" 6/9). USA TODAY's Deborah
Barrington: "The game, the league and the players will be
drastically different" (USA TODAY, 6/10). In L.A., Earl
Gustkey: "Expectations have never been higher at NBA-WNBA
offices in New York" (L.A. TIMES, 6/9). In Charlotte, Cliff
Mehrtens wrote: "One league. All the stars. No argument"
(CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 6/9). In Houston, W.H. Stickney Jr.:
"Life in professional women's basketball in the United
States is indeed good -- and getting better" (HOUSTON
CHRONICLE, 6/9). In Sacramento, Ailene Voisin: "Finally,
the WNBA has the game. The best game" (SACRAMENTO BEE,
6/9). In S.F., Nancy Gay wrote that now, "The WNBA will
sink or swim on its own merits" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 6/9).
STILL CHALLENGES? SportsBusiness Journal Marketing
Editor Andy Bernstein, quoted in today's MIAMI HERALD:
"Attendance is not that strong in every market, and they
still give away a lot of tickets. No WNBA player is a true
household name yet, but for being around for two years, you
can't argue with the fact the league has done extremely well
and has a lot of upside and potential" (MIAMI HERALD, 6/10).
DOES THE WNBA HAVE NO HART? A HARTFORD COURANT
editorial criticizes the WNBA for bypassing that city in its
latest round of expansion: "You get the feeling that
Hartford's desire for a franchise was never given a second
consideration. WNBA hype notwithstanding, the women do not
yet have a league of their own" (HARTFORD COURANT, 6/10).
A NEW MARKET: In DC, Thomas Heath examines women's team
sports in the U.S. and writes that the WNBA is "selling
tickets through youth leagues, and advertising in women's
magazines and on family television shows." More Heath: "The
question is whether the Women's World Cup and WNBA can
attract enough sports-loving moms and dads, and their
athlete children, to compensate for the missing hard-core
male sports fans." In terms of sponsors, Heath reports that
Coca-Cola "never activated" its Sprite campaign "in
conjunction with the WNBA, although it paid for the right to
do so." adidas "probably will not renew" its three-year
contract because women's college basketball is "more
effective in reaching" women's consumers (WASHINGTON POST,
6/10). The WNBA "still needs to re-sign" all but two of its
major sponsors -- Nike and Sears (PLAIN DEALER, 6/9).
TV REACH: DAILY VARIETY'S John Dempsey reports that
broadcasters in the U.K., Germany, Italy, Uruguay, Ghana,
Lithuania and Haiti have signed TV agreements with the WNBA.
WNBA games will be shown in 125 countries via 37
broadcasters in 17 languages. Int'l sources said that all
WNBA contracts outside the U.S. should bring in revenues in
the "low seven figures for the year" (DAILY VARIETY, 6/10).
THE BOSS: WNBA President Val Ackerman "expects" the
league to average 10,000 fans a game in '99 (N.Y. TIMES,
6/10). The league averaged 10,869 last year (THE DAILY). In
Newark, Brad Parks, on Ackerman: "She started as an unknown
attorney at the NBA 11 years ago -- one of dozens of bright,
young people working for the league -- and has risen to one
of the most visible positions in women's sports" (STAR-
LEDGER, 6/9). For more, see (#11) and (#16).
