WNBA Scores Well In Northeastern's Race/Gender Report Card

The following are the grades given by Northeastern Univ.'s Center for the Study of Sport In Society's 2001 Racial and Gender Report Card, evaluating each respective league's employment practices. The study covers the '99-00 seasons in the NBA and the NHL, the '00 MLB, NFL, MLS and WNBA seasons and the '99-00 NCAA academic year. The '01 report uses a new grading format, under which each organization is given a race and gender grade, as well as an overall grade combining the two. The organizations are listed in order of overall grades. Grades were earned by comparing the race/gender composition of society to each league. For example, since approximately 12% of the population is African-American, a sport with 12% of positions held by African-Americans earned a "B". The Center notes that the WNBA is the first league to receive an "A" in both the race and gender categories. For the NHL, the study did not issue grades for player opportunities, coaches or GMs, as the judgement that grades in those areas would unfairly penalize the NHL for what has been the cultural history of hockey (THE DAILY).

NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY'S CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF SPORT IN SOCIETY'S 2001 RACIAL AND GENDER REPORT CARD

LEADERS OF THE PACK: In Boston, Peter May writes the Racial and Gender Report Card concludes the NBA and WNBA are "far and away ahead of the rest" in terms of diversity. May reports 45% of WNBA "professionals were people of color" and 85% were women. Center for the Study of Sport in Society Founder & Dir, and lead author of the study, Richard Lapchick said, "There was a decline in the influence of women in most sports and organizations covered. This makes it even more striking that the WNBA, a women's league headed up by a woman, had the best record for diversity in sport" (BOSTON GLOBE, 7/24). In N.Y., Edward Wong writes the NBA's and WNBA's grades "far surpassed" the performance of the other organizations (N.Y. TIMES, 7/24).

ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT: May notes the percentage of African-Americans in MLB is at "a 30-year low." That percentage also decreased in soccer, the WNBA and college sports for men and women (BOSTON GLOBE, 7/24). At the same time, the percentage of Latinos in MLB "remains at an all-time high," at 26% (USA TODAY, 7/24). Lapchick said, "I think the big picture is that there's pressure and commitment from the top of the league offices to diversity. Some have done particularly well on the racial level, even if they have fallen short in terms of gender. But when we get to the team level and individual colleges, then the pressure is not impactful" (N.Y. TIMES, 7/24).

FIRST TIMERS: Meanwhile, May also notes for the first time, the study included the USOC and its NGBs and reports the USOC "received high marks" in the gender category (43%), but its NGBs "had the worst record for race." Also, in the NCAA, people of color account for 2.4% of all Division I ADs. Women account for 9% (BOSTON GLOBE, 7/24).

READ THE REPORT: For the full 2001 Racial and Gender Report Card, visit www.sportinsociety.org/rgrc2001.html