WNBA Earns Second Straight "A+" In Racial & Gender Report Card

Univ. of Central Florida (UCF) Institute for Diversity & Ethics in Sport Dir Richard Lapchick in his '09 WNBA Racial & Gender Report Card gave the league a combined "A+" grade for race and gender and an individual "A+" grade for both gender and race categories. The combined grade marks the second straight year the league received the grade and only the second time in the history of the report a league has received a combined "A+" grade. Also for the second consecutive year, the WNBA had the highest number of "A" grades as well as the lowest number of grades below "A" in all categories in the history of the report. The league received "A" grades for race in the WNBA league office, head and assistant coaches, GMs, team senior administration, team professional administration and player opportunities, and received "A" grades in gender in all those categories except for player opportunities. As in last year's report, team VPs was the only category where the WNBA had a grade below "A" for gender and race. The league received a "C-" for race and a "B-" for gender in this category, as the league had four African-American team VPs in '08, the same as '07, while 30% (or 20 total) of team VPs were women, an increase from 26% in '07. In the WNBA league office, African-Americans occupied 27% of positions, Asians 3%, whites 67% and Latinos 3%, with women filling 100% of WNBA professional staff positions in '09, a 26% increase from '08. In terms of team ownership, there were no people of color considered as majority owners during the '08 season, though four women held majority ownership. The number of women in top management roles also increased from four to five at the start of the '08 season, and the appointment of Shock President Kristin Bernert in '09 brought that total to six. 

METHODOLOGY: With 24% of the U.S. population being people of color, an "A" was achieved if 24% of the positions were held by people of color, a "B" achieved for 12%, a "C" for 9%, a "D" for 6% or a "F" for any percentage equal to or below 5%. For issues of gender, an "A" would be earned if 40% of employees were women, a "B" for 32%, a "C" for 27%, a "D" for 22% and a "F" for anything below that (UCF).

GROWING TOGETHER: Lapchick said that the WNBA has "long led the way in his diversity and gender studies." Lapchick: "The WNBA remained as the best employer overall for women and people of color in sport. They have set the standard for sport with their combined A-plus grade. Taken with the NBA's overall A grade, basketball has again swept the table for best practices for hiring from a diverse pool of candidates." The AP's Dave Skretta noted the WNBA began play in '97, "about the same time the NBA began its diversity initiative" (AP, 7/23). In L.A., Mark Medina writes the report is a "bearer of good news for a league that's experienced numerous economic challenges this past year." Lapchick said that the league's "current challenges likely wouldn't hinder its diverse hiring practices" (L.A. TIMES, 7/24).