A crowd of 17,717, "just shy of a sellout," attended
last night's WNBA All-Star Game at America West Arena in
Phoenix, and in AZ Nena Baker writes, "What could have been
a night of controversy and consternation turned out to be a
joyful celebration." The league "maneuvered a potential
public relations nightmare -- including the specter of
booing, black-clad fans -- into a PR coup," as WNBA
President Val Ackerman added Mercury G Brandy Reed to the
West roster. Ackerman, on Reed's addition: "It was in the
best interest of the fans. That's the cause I invoked"
(ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 7/18). Ackerman stated that the league
will "look at ... very closely" at the idea that the host
city will be automatically represented in future All-Star
Games ("WNBA All-Star Game," 7/17). But in Detroit, Charles
Robinson writes, "At what point do you trade league
credibility to make a few fans happy? ... While the WNBA got
the local fervor it craved, it lost respect in my eyes.
Changing rules to drum up interest -- even if it is only for
fans -- only makes this league look like a marketing toy"
(DETROIT FREE PRESS, 7/18). Meanwhile, during the game
broadcast, ESPN's Robin Roberts noted that several players
and coaches were wearing microphones. Roberts: "You're
going to feel like you're in this packed house and it's a
tremendous setting." ESPN's Jay Bilas said the event was "a
testament to the growth of [the women's game], not only the
crowd that has turned out, but the pageantry of this event"
(ESPN, 7/17). The game was broadcast to 154 countries in 23
different languages via 37 telecasters (USA TODAY, 7/18).
BRICK HOUSE? In AZ, Jeff Metcalfe reports that the game
had "horrific shooting," and "did little to convince the
skeptics that the game is changing for the better." Reed,
who shot 1-11 from the field: "It may have been one of those
games where both teams didn't shoot well. But you cannot
overlook the fact that both teams played hard" (AZ REPUBLIC,
7/18). For the game, the West shot 37.7% and the East shot
29.4% from the field (USA TODAY, 7/18). In AZ, Dan Bickley
writes that "there's little doubt [last night's game] did
little to help the WNBA break down the barriers of
intolerance. The garden variety, closed-minded alpha male
tuning in to Monday's game out of curiosity probably
snickered at the turnovers, laughed at their air balls and
flipped over to watch Baywatch. It's a shame too. Most
people who bash the WNBA have no idea how much women's
basketball has improved over the past five years" (AZ
REPUBLIC, 7/18). In Miami, Craig Morgan: "In a league
plagued by falling attendance and low shooting percentages,
the All-Star Game was less than an optimal example of what
the top players can do" (MIAMI HERALD, 7/18).
MARKET WATCH: Ackerman said that some WNBA teams "are
not safe from being relocated" before their three-year
operating agreements expire after the 2002 season.
Ackerman: "Unlike the NBA, no team has what you would call a
perpetual right to have a team" (AZ REPUBLIC, 7/18).
STATE OF THE GAME: In Newark, Eric Prisbell writes that
last night's All-Star Game "was overshadowed by a thorny
issue at the bedrock of the league's foundation. Salaries
are pitting players against the league in a tug of war over
currency that may or may not exist. Players are pulling for
their fair market worth, while the league clearly has
posterity in mind" (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 7/18). Also in
Newark, Matthew Futterman writes on the marketing and
endorsement restrictions facing some WNBA players, as the
league allows players "to endorse only official league
sponsors during the season." WNBPA Dir of Operations Pam
Wheeler: "The players have expressed deep concerns about
their inability to market themselves during the season when
their exposure is at its highest level. I just haven't seen
how limiting what a player can do on her own has diminished
a sport's ability to gain official sponsorships." WNBA
execs said that the league "isn't hindering players" from
signing their own endorsement deals. WNBA Senior
VP/Marketing Partnerships Ken Derrett: "We're trying to
maximize the opportunities for our partners and provide
opportunities for our players. We've tried to encourage our
partners to work with individual players." But Futterman
notes that so far, "only a handful" of WNBA players have
received endorsement deals (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 7/18).
STORM FRONT COMING? In Tacoma, Don Ruiz writes that
the first-year Storm "is a tentative success story without
much actual success," as the players "are succeeding in the
stands and in the community even as they pile up defeats on
the court." Storm Senior Dir of WNBA Operations Karen
Bryant said that the team "is working hard behind the scenes
to build on corporate partnerships," as the Storm "rank
among the top" in the league (NEWS-TRIBUNE, 7/18).
