The WNBA's second season gets underway tonight with
four games on the schedule. Lifetime TV will televise the
Liberty-Rockers game live at 8:00pm ET. In Cleveland, Liz
Robbins previews the second season and writes that "[e]arly
indications at the ticket office, from sponsors and, most
important, on the court" show the league is "poised to
grow." WNBA President Val Ackerman is projecting an average
attendance of 10,000, up from last year's 9,084 average. In
addition, NBC, ESPN and Lifetime will again televise one
national game a week, while local games on RSNs "have
doubled" to 60. Robbins says that sponsors who "hesitated"
to support the league last year, such as McDonald's, "are
flocking to join" in (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 6/10).
MARKETING 101: In N.Y., Richard Wilner reports that as
the WNBA "cranks up the marketing machine," media buyers
"for the most part ... are still standing on the sidelines
waiting to see" if the league is "just a curiosity or can
grow into a genuine programming power house." Media Buyer
Paul Schulman: "Sometimes I feel if not for the marketing
greatness of the NBA, the WNBA might be more like the rival
ABL, which is close to an underground sport." Wilner notes
that "[m]any analysts" give Ackerman "high grades for her
work so far" (N.Y. POST, 6/11). Also in N.Y., Kristie
Ackert writes that, with the addition of 40 college stars
"adding depth and increased competition," the WNBA "has to
sell the quality of the game" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 6/11).
A PERFECT UNION? In Hartford, Lori Riley writes that
while the WNBA's first season saw "much success ... some
players still don't make enough to live comfortably, That,
coupled with a short season many would like to see
lengthened, has some talking about forming a union"
(HARTFORD COURANT, 6/11). Ackerman, interviewed in the AZ
REPUBLIC says, "If the union came to pass, they would have
to identify what the issues would be from their standpoint.
If it were to happen, we would try to be as constructive as
we can in dealing with the issues" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 6/11).
SWOOP, HERE SHE IS: Comets C Sheryl Swoopes, who missed
two practices earlier this week, returned yesterday and "all
parties involved," including Coach Van Chancellor, said that
any problems had been solved. The "major reason" Swoopes
gave for her absence involved baby-sitting problems (HOUSTON
CHRONICLE, 6/11)....Ackerman said that the league will not
use 7'2" Starzz rookie C Malgorzata Dydek in its '98 ad
campaign "because our marketing work is laid in advance."
Dydek's agent Trisonia Abraham said Dydek has received "a
few endorsement offers," both nationally and in UT (DESERET
NEWS, 6/10)....The league relaunches its Web site today at
www.WNBA.com with new features, including live in-game box
scores and audio broadcasts of each game (WNBA).
