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Leagues and Governing Bodies

WNBA Mystics Owner Ted Leonsis, Elena Delle Donne Discuss Issues Surrounding League

WNBA Washington Mystics Owner Ted Leonsis said the reasons behind the league's struggles to gain the same traction as the NBA "starts with the media coverage, in that the game isn't given the respect that its due," according to a Q&A with Colleen Leahey McKeegan of MARIE CLAIRE. Leonsis: "That is a battle. Secondly, because its sports and entertainment, stars really matter. Stars are born not only through their performance on the court, but also through their backstory. And the women athletes haven't been given their due." Mystics F Elena Delle Donne said, "It all starts with visibility: getting the stories of players out there, growing the fan base, and getting big brands to get involved. It's kind of hard to be a fan of the WNBA at times because we're not always on TV." Leonsis: "I'd say there's probably something generational. ... For baby boomers there's a code, if you will, on what's cool, what's acceptable, what's right. Versus millennials, who seem to be a lot broader in their thinking and more progressive." He added, "We need more NBA owners to own WNBA teams. The ideal set up would be to own an NBA team, a [G League] team, and a WNBA team. Then there's year-round basketball for your fans and community, and you're using your sales and sponsorship and media and web and mobile and security to leverage scale to make everything successful. ... It is very, very difficult for an independent to make it work." Leonsis said he would also "like to see more female ownership" (MARIECLAIRE.com, 6/22).

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