Category Archives: WNBA

I know what you’re thinking: “What can WNBA players teach me about business?”

Thoughts are running through your head about the league suffering from low attendance, TV viewership and sponsorships. Not to mention you’ve heard countless rumors about the WNBA being a drain on the NBA’s resources.

Let me stop you right there. Those thoughts are far from reality.

The truth is that during the WNBA’s 15^th season it experienced an increase in attendance and TV viewership, and the league landed a marquee sponsorship with Boost Mobile. As for resources, several WNBA owners have said that despite the economic downturn their teams are on pace to turn a profit within the next several seasons.

So, what can WNBA players teach you about business? A lot.

It’s a little-known fact that more than 90% of WNBA players are college graduates. For many reasons the concept of “one and done” doesn’t exist in the WNBA. As a result the league is full of players who are not only skilled on the court, but also in the classroom.

WNBA players are not going to college to bide their time until they are eligible for the pros. They’re going to college because they know that life on the basketball court won’t last forever.

Recently, I caught up with four WNBA players (Cappie Pondexter, Tammy Sutton-Brown,Essence Carson, and Asjha Jones) who are all “business” on and off the court.

Here are five lessons that WNBA players can teach you about business:

Continue reading →

Glen Taylor, the self-made printing entrepreneur with an estimated net worth of $1.8 billion, is widely known as the majority owner of the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves (acquired in 1995).

Early this month, Taylor (Forbes 400 #242) ended Minnesota’s two decade professional sports championship drought by winning the 2011 WNBA Championship with the Minnesota Lynx.

Here’s how he did it…

Patience and commitment to the WNBA. In 1999, Taylor became the operating owner of the Lynx, and subsequently in 2002 he transitioned to majority owner. Throughout the franchise’s history, Taylor was often criticized for financing a team that only made it to the playoffs twice. However, he was known for saying that equal opportunity for women athletes was the right thing to do, and he knew from the beginning it would cost him money. According to the Twin Cities Pioneer Press, the Lynx have been losing about $1 million annually, but after its successful playoff run the team could break even for the first time in its history.

Continue reading →

The following article was originally published on 10/7 via Forbes Sports Money

Tonight is Game 3 of the 2011 WNBA Finals, and it’s “win or go home” for the Atlanta Dream, who are down 0-2 in this best of five series
against the Minnesota Lynx.

The Lynx entered the Finals with the best record in the league, and they used every bit of their home court advantage (which included more than
15,000 cheering fans — the second and third largest crowds in franchise history) to take Games 1 and 2.

But don’t think that the Dream are just going to hand the trophy over to the Lynx. They will have to earn a “W” in the sold-out Philips Arena when
Lindsey Harding, point guard and former No. 1 draft pick, and all-star forward Angel McCoughtry take the court.

McCoughtry, known for her emotional play, must use that to her advantage while continuing to lead the team in scoring (Game 2: 36 points and a Finals record). And all Dream fans are hoping that the return of forward/center, Erika de Souza, (who briefly left to qualify for the Olympics with the Brazilian National Team) will be the difference maker.

Needless to say, Game 3 will be one to watch!!

Here are a few of my highlights from the 2011 WNBA Finals…

Maya Moore channels Dr. J. Yup, the WNBA is a below the rim game, but you better believe that Moore’s amazing reverse lay-up
would make Dr. J proud.  Moore wasn’t even born when Dr. J made that move in the 1980 NBA Finals. It’s only her rookie season, and I can’t wait to see what she has in store next year.

Continue reading →

Last night was Game 1 of the WNBA Finals (Minnesota 88, Atlanta 74).

The Atlanta Dream and Minnesota Lynx didn’t disappoint the 15,258 fans who rocked the Target Center and those who watched it on ESPN.

Did you catch the game?

Did you see Seimone Augustus’ “smooth as butter” shooting? How about Angel McCoughtry’s quickness and intensity?

If you watched the game, why did you watch? What keeps you coming back for more? If you missed it, what stopped you from watching?

If you’re unsure, take the quiz below. This will give you all of the answers that you’re looking for…. Continue reading →

Atlanta Dream Owners - Kelly Loeffler and Mary Brock

The following article was originally published on 9/26 via Forbes Sports Money

Did you watch the 1996 Summer Olympics? Remember the excitement of Team USA led by Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie, and Teresa Edwards bringing home the gold me.

That was one of the most memorable moments in sports history, and by all accounts it was the coming out celebration for women’s professional basketball in the United States.

Now, 15 years later, women’s basketball is making headlines in Atlanta once again. This time it’s for the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream.

You probably didn’t know that there is professional women’s basketball in Atlanta. For first-year owners Kelly Loeffler and Mary Brock, women’s professional basketball in Atlanta was new to them, too.

Loeffler, vice president of investor relations and corporate communications at
IntercontinentalExchange (NYSE: ICE), and Brock, philanthropist and sports advocate, began the 2011 season as minority owners alongside then managing partner Kathy Betty; pending the approval of the WNBA’s Board of Governors, they will end the season as majority owners.

As Loeffler and Brock take over the reins, they recognize that their No. 1 challenge is to raise the profile and visibility of the four-year-old franchise and do whatever they can to increase profitability and fill Philips Arena.

What’s the easiest way to fill an arena and sell tickets? Win games, of course! Luckily for Brock and Loeffler, the Dream knows
how to win. Continue reading →

Have you ever thought of a brilliant, possibly outrageous idea, but you talked yourself out of it?

Do you think about what would have happened if you’d pursued your goal?

Have you ever witnessed cruelty and thought “someone should do something about this?” Think for a moment if YOU had done something. How many lives would have changed?

What would you do in these situations?

This is the story of Carla Christofferson, Kathy Goodman, and Paula Madison and their WNBA journey. Continue reading →

In 2008, when the United States faced an economic crisis, sports fans in Seattle were facing a crisis of their own. Their beloved NBA and WNBA basketball teams, Seattle Supersonics and Seattle Storm, were on the verge of leaving the northwest region for good.

Many fans saw the writing on the wall in 2006 when after unsuccessful attempts to build a new state-of-the-art arena Starbucks Chairman, Howard Schultz, and the Basketball Club of Seattle sold the teams to Oklahoma businessman, Clay Bennett, and the Professional Basketball Club LLC.

What were sports fans to do in this predicament?

For Seattle Storm season ticket holders Dawn Trudeau, Ginny Gilder, and Lisa Brummel the answer was simple – buy the team and keep
it in Seattle. Together these powerful women comprise Force 10 Hoops LLC, the independent WNBA ownership group. Continue reading →

When the WNBA tipped-off its 2011 season many wondered about the future of a league celebrating its 15^th season. Would it have enough momentum to move forward?

Would it be able to shed its perceived sole reliance on the NBA?

How would the league navigate the economic uncertainty in the United States and overseas?

Today, the WNBA put the speculation to rest and offered fans a glimpse into its next chapter with the announcement of a landmark multiyear marketing partnership with Boost Mobile.

Boost Mobile is one of Sprint’s prepaid brands, and offers wireless phones and services with no long-term contracts. The wireless provider offers nationwide service on the Nationwide Sprint Network, reaching more than 278 million people, and on the Nextel National Network, reaching more than 278 million people. Continue reading →

A few months ago, women’s professional basketball ushered in a new era when NBA Commissioner David Stern announced Laurel J. Richie as the President of the WNBA. (Post previously held by Donna Orender 2005-2010 and Val Ackerman 1996-2005).

Richie brings to the WNBA more than 30 years of consumer marketing, corporate branding, public relations, and corporate management experience; and most recently she was the Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for the Girl Scouts of the USA. In this role, Richie was responsible for “the organization’s brand, communications, publishing, marketing and web-based initiatives, and was the driving force behind the recent brand revitalization of this well-loved American icon.”

Isn’t this exactly what the WNBA needs? – Someone with a true passion and commitment for building female leaders, and someone with the proven ability to direct a brand and get results. Continue reading →

Last month, I traveled to my first WNBA All-Star weekend and it was an amazing experience. I will never forget seeing San Antonio’s

I went into the weekend as a WNBA fan and someone who one day wants to own a WNBA franchise and left the weekend as a true WNBA advocate. I’ve always known about the quality of play that the league has to offer, I watch WNBA LiveAccess almost every night (In case you didn’t know…practically all of the games are FREE online or with the WNBA Center Court smart phone app).

However, something was different about this weekend; for the first time I saw up close and personal what the WNBA is all about – true competitive spirit, passion the game, hope for tomorrow, and dreams fulfilled; after witnessing this, I fell in love with women’s basketball all over again. Continue reading →