The WNBA Finals begin Sunday with a rematch of the '12 title tilt pitting against the Fever and the Lynx, and President Laurel Richie hopes the matchup is a stepping stone to increasing interest in the league. Richie said, "Our biggest opportunity is to continue to grow our fan base. That is
really the cornerstone of any sports franchise or sports league. We are
19 years young, and on the journey we focus a lot of our time and effort
on building a genuine and sustainable fan base to set the stage for the
next 20 years." Richie spoke with THE DAILY about star players sitting out the season, record-low attendance and her reaction to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver's recent comments on the state of the league.
Q: How does the league deal with star players sitting out the WNBA season to be better rested to play overseas?
Richie: We respect players making decisions they believe are best for them. We have missed players for part or all of the season for other reasons, including injuries and pregnancy, so that is not new to us. The depth of talent in the league right now allows us to keep moving forward and keep putting a great product on the floor.
Q: How does the league improve its visibility?
Richie: We are always doing outreach with the media, promoting our game. Part of it is our job to provide compelling profiles of our players and of our game. There’s a responsibility on the part of the media to cover the game and cover us as the longest-running professional women’s sports league in the country. What I’m really excited about is our players. They are available, they are accessible and they understand the role that they play in building awareness and relevance of the league. They are very generous in sharing their stories with us. That’s where social media and the digital platforms provide such great opportunities to get their stories out and to speak to current and potential fans through those outlets.
Q: What can the league do to rebound from record-low attendance this season?
Richie: We’re looking forward to our 20th season in 2016, so we are knee-deep in our planning. While we want to use it as an opportunity to celebrate our first 20 years, more importantly, we are designing it to be a springboard for our next 20 years. We are looking at messaging, we are looking at some events, we are looking at some new initiatives, all of which packaged together will make for a pretty compelling year for us. It is also an Olympic year and the WNBA in many ways was born out of the success of the 1996 Olympic team, so we’ll be leveraging that.
Q: What can the Dallas area offer the league with the Shock now leaving the Tulsa market?
Richie: As Shock Majority Owner Bill Cameron looked at his business and investment, he believes the Dallas market in terms of potential fans, potential partners is in the long term a better place for his franchise. That’s what is behind the move and the opportunity that he sees.
Q: What is your reaction to Adam Silver’s comments on the league’s progress?
Richie: I have the pleasure of working with Adam and working with him fairly closely. I view his comments as an acknowledgement that in many ways, there are many who think we wouldn’t be here for 20 years. I think it’s an honest appraisal of looking forward, and he’s privy to all the work we are doing in preparation for our next 20 years. It’s part of the DNA of this organization to never be satisfied, to always look forward, and to be very transparent in the areas we think we can do better and want to do better.
Q: Where do you see the league 10 years from now?
Richie: I believe in the next 10 years we will expand our footprint and there will be more teams in the league. And my ultimate vision is by the time we reach 2025, when people refer to the major sports leagues in this country, the WNBA will be top of mind and present with the other leagues.
