The WNBA has finally “made it to North Texas,” as the Dallas Wings will begin their first season in the market this season after relocating during the offseason from Tulsa, according to Stephen Hawkins of the AP. The Wings will play at UT-Arlington, which is “about 20 miles from downtown Dallas.” Wings C and Texas native Plenette Pierson said, “This is the best market, I think, for the WNBA. Just expanding our brand, we want this league to be sustainable, and I think being in Dallas makes this league sustainable.” Wings G Skylar Diggins added, “This area deserves a pro women’s basketball team, especially with the talent that comes out of here every here in the DFW area with women’s basketball.” Hawkins noted there “hasn’t been a high profile women’s professional basketball team in the area" since the Dallas Diamonds played in the WPBL from ’79-81 (AP, 5/10). Pierson said, “We want to be the faces of Dallas. We want to be obtainable professional athletes that you can reach out and have a conversation with us" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 5/6). SI’s Jacob Feldman notes the Wings' arrival sets up an in-state rivalry with the San Antonio Stars that the WNBA "hopes will bolster attendance in Texas.” The two franchises “dragged down the league-attendance average last season, finishing second to last and last, though those numbers were undoubtedly affected by the Shock’s impending departure from Oklahoma and the Stars’ relocation to Freeman Coliseum while their home, the AT&T Center, was being renovated.” If both teams “bounce back this season, it would help the WNBA recover from last year’s overall attendance dips," its first since ’12 (SI, 5/16 issue).
SOCIAL CONNECT: PEOPLE's Rose Minutaglio noted Diggins is “using her social media accounts to help ‘sustain the league.’” She hopes to "‘spread positivity’ and promote healthy living to her over 960,000 Instagram followers – most of whom are young female athletes.” Diggins: “With social media and being a millennial, I find myself online interacting and trying to talk to so many people and what I love about social media is it’s a direct conversation between my fans and me. I can jump online and talk to people from all over with the click of a button and it helps you connect with your fans. It’s just a part of the game now” (PEOPLE.com, 5/10).
