The WNBA concept was approved on April 24,1996.(http://www.wnba.com/history/makingthewnba_timeline.html) It is the women’s counterpart of the NBA. NBC sports was the WNBA’S first national broadcaster. ESPN and Lifetime television also became broadcasters. Val Ackerman was named the first WNBA president on August 7, 1996. The first players were signed on October 23, 1996. These two players were Sheryl Swoopes and Rebecca Lobo.(WNBA SUPERSTARS: Leslie, Lobo, & Swoopes: pgs:25-43) Lisa Leslie and Ruthie Bolton-Holifield were signed shortly after their signings. On October 30, a total of eight cities were selected to host WNBA teams. These cities were Charlotte, Cleveland, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Phoenix, Sacramento, and Utah. In 1997, the first sixteen players were assigned to their teams. The first pre-draft camp was help in Orlando, Florida. In April, the draft for college and unsigned veterans were held. Tina Thompson was the first pick. She was from the University of California. The WNBA uniforms were sponsored by General Motors and Champion.(http://www.blogger.com/WWW.WNBA.COM) The first game took place in June. The New York Liberty and Los Angeles Sparks were the first two teams to square off. Penny Toler was the first player ever to score a WNBA basket. The Houston Comets won the first WNBA championship.(WNBA: A Celebration: Commemorating the birth of a league pg.35) Cynthia Cooper was the first WNBA MVP. MVP stands for Most Valuable player. These honors are given at the end of the season. In 2003, Lisa Leslie was the first lady to dunk in a WNBA game.(Shattering the Glass: Remarkable History of Women’s Basketball) In 2008, Candace Parker became the second woman to dunk in a game.(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgzKKYMJTyM) The WNBA can provide the same excitement as an NBA game.
The WNBA has several differences from the NBA. The NBA season is from October to June. The regular season ends in April. They playoffs begin from that point until June. The WNBA season is from June to September. The NBA plays eighty-two regular season games. The WNBA has forty-three regular season games. The NBA has thirty teams. They are divided into two conferences with each conference having fifteen teams. The WNBA currently has thirteen teams. The WNBA ball is one inch smaller than the NBA ball. The WNBA has two twenty minute halves. (http://www.insidehoops.com/wnba/history.shtml)
The WNBA has undergone many changes. A few teams have folded. Charlotte no longer has a WNBA team. I was fortunate enough to attend one of the games while it was still there. I was a fan of Dawn Staley. She was the point guard for Charlotte. She retired and is currently coaching a college team. The WNBA has grown. In 1996, there were only eight teams and now there are thirteen. The WNBA is now being televised on NBA TV. This has been a great accomplishment. The attendance rate has increased over the years. The WNBA excitement level has grown. The WNBA style of play has gotten more intense.
The WNBA has undergone many changes. A few teams have folded. Charlotte no longer has a WNBA team. I was fortunate enough to attend one of the games while it was still there. I was a fan of Dawn Staley. She was the point guard for Charlotte. She retired and is currently coaching a college team. The WNBA has grown. In 1996, there were only eight teams and now there are thirteen. The WNBA is now being televised on NBA TV. This has been a great accomplishment. The attendance rate has increased over the years. The WNBA excitement level has grown. The WNBA style of play has gotten more intense.
There are certain issues I have regarding the WNBA to the NBA. NBA players are paid a substantial amount of money. They are paid millions of dollars. As an NBA player sitting on the bench, you make more money than the best WNBA in the game. I really have an issue with the amount of money WNBA players make. Some NBA player salaries are more than a whole WNBA team salary. They receive bonuses for winning certain awards but it still does not compare to the men’s salary. (http://www.womensbasketballonline.com/wnba/rosters/salary.html) The minimum salary for a three-year WNBA player is $51,000. The minimum salary for a three-year NBA player is $826,269. That is more than the amount for a WNBA team salary cap. The salary cap for a WNBA team is $803,000. (http://personalmoneystore.com/moneyblog/2009/04/09/wnba-salaries-fall-short-male-counterparts/) I know it is impossible for them to make as much but I certainly think they should be making more. They go out there on the court and play just as hard as the men play. They sweat, cry, and are injured all the same. These women play with just as much passion. It is clear that these women play because they have a love for the game. (Why she plays The World of Women’s Basketball pgs. 16-20) They can go out in work a regular career in their degree for the amount of money they make. They choose to play basketball instead. They deserve much more than what they are being given. This is a debate this is also present in the workforce. Money has always been an inequality between men and women. This issue has been known for years. It is coming more common for women to rise to the top and to overcome these statistics. The difference in salaries is ridiculous. The question stands “Are the NBA players overpaid?” My answer is yes. Especially when you have a young man that never gets a chance to take off his warm up suit but he is making more money than the WNBA’s most valuable player. I am not knocking NBA players that do not get much playing time, but I am trying to make the point that the women players deserve more.
The next issue is the publicity they receive. The NBA has great media coverage. During the NBA season, you can always turn on the television to catch an NBA game. The games are always offered on several television networks. The players have tons of commercials. During the WNBA season, there are few times you can catch a game being televised. As a fan, I had to watch the majority of the games on the internet. A service I am incredibly grateful to receive. Not everybody has access to a computer therefore; it is unfair to those who could not watch it. The women basketball players do not get much airtime on ESPN or Sports Center. College sports receive more publicity than the WNBA. I find this to be very disturbing. These females are professional athletes but they do not receive proper publicity. Numerous times, I have been clueless of the result of a game because the failure for sports channels to mention the WNBA scores.
Sexuality also plays a huge part. Many people think most WNBA players are homosexuals. That is not true. There are some homosexuals in the WNBA but there are also women who embrace their femininity. Tina Thompson is famous for wearing lipstick during games.(http://www.wnba.com/playerfile/tina_thompson/bio.html) Lisa Leslie wears lipstick also.(WNBA: Stars of Women’s Basketball) Candace Parker is married to an NBA player. He attends the games while tending to their daughter. In 2005, Sheryl Swoopes was the first WNBA player to publicly announce her homosexuality. (http://sports.espn.go.com/wnba/columns/story?columnist=voepel_mechelle&id=2203893) Her sexuality didn’t affect the way she played ball. She’s still an outstanding player. Her personal business belongs to her but when she’s on the court she plays just as hard as everyone else. So, is there gay women in the WNBA? Yes, but there are also a lot of players who are married and have families. Every female that plays basketball is not a homosexual. It’s incredible for a lady to give birth and to return to women’s basketball. That is a tremendous accomplishment. After giving birth to her firstborn, Candace Parker returned to the WNBA within seven weeks.( http://celebrity-babies.com/2009/07/05/candace-parker-returns-to-the-court/) That is pretty incredible. That is certainly one thing you won’t see happening in the NBA.
The NBA fan base is incredibly large. Salaries differ because the difference in the fan bases. People do not give the WNBA a chance. They automatically think it is not worth watching. They underestimate women abilities. They have it set in their mind that they would not be interested. I have encouraged people to try watching it. They are surprise after watching it. They end up really enjoying it. One person said he had no idea they could actually play. My point is if the games are not going to be televised than the sports channels can at least show the highlights. If people are able to see the highlights than maybe, it can persuade them to watch it. If they are watching a sports show and WNBA highlights come up than they are bound to watch it, because it is in their face. If the WNBA recieve more publicity than their fan base will continue to grow.
I have discussed the history of the WNBA. I have provided evidence for my information. It is obvious that the WNBA has grown. They have expanded by adding more teams to the organization. Their style of play has changed. It has become more exciting. I have discussed the major issues of the WNBA players salaries compared to NBA players. No, I do not expect them to make the same amount. However, I do think they should make more than what they are previously making. Publicity can definitely improve. The games should be televised on television more. If a game is not televised than highlights should be seen on ESPN or SportsCenter more often. The fan base has increased over the years and is still increasing.
The WNBA players deserve more. They work hard. They play hard. The same salary is not possible because the fan base is not large enough to provide those funds. No, they cannot make, as much but more is possible. It can be improved. Publicity should be a whole lot better. These women deserve to be on television more. They deserve to be on the top plays on ESPN. When it comes to publicity there should be equality.
The WNBA players deserve more. They work hard. They play hard. The same salary is not possible because the fan base is not large enough to provide those funds. No, they cannot make, as much but more is possible. It can be improved. Publicity should be a whole lot better. These women deserve to be on television more. They deserve to be on the top plays on ESPN. When it comes to publicity there should be equality.
Regardless, if its men or women, they are entertaining us and should be treated equally. It is important because if people continue to not support these women than the WNBA will not continue to be a success. It will not grow. It could possibly fold. The world is full of young girls who dream of playing in the WNBA. We wouldn't want to ruin their dreams, would we? Women have come an extremely long way in the world and it is time for them to start recieveing the same respect as men in the sport's world. I'm just asking for people to give them a chance. People easily come off negative about women’s basketball but than I find out, they never watched a game. My advice is to stop assuming that they can't play because of their gender. People should watch a game first and than give their opinions. Women’s basketball is on its way to a new level. I advise you all to jump on board or you will be left behind. If the president of the NBA can see a woman playing in the NBA in the future and you still have your doubts than maybe it is time you watch some WNBA basketball. People are finally coming to the realization and respecting their style of play. (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/ian_thomsen/12/04/countdown/index.html) If you cannot wait until the season start in June than I advise that you go to you tube and watch a few videos on the WNBA. It will be well worth your time. I will leave you with a video of one of the elite basketball players in women’s basketball; hope you enjoy.(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsCks-kBfKc) It is only the beginning. Stay tuned because great things will continue to unfold for the WNBA.
Sources:
Christine Baker, Why she plays: The world of women's basketball, (Bison Books, December 1, 2008) pgs 16-20
Pamela Grundy, Susan Shakelford, Shattering the Glass: Remarkable History of Women's Basketball, (University of North Carolina Press, March 5, 2007) pgs: 1-10
Molly Jackel, WNBA SUPERSTARS: Leslie, Lobo, & Swoopes, (Scholastic Paperbacks, February 1, 1998) pgs:25-43
Kelly Whiteside, WNBA: A celebration commemorating the birth of a league, ( Harper Paperbacks, June 3, 1998) pg.35
Ben York, "Why you need to pay attention to the Wnba," Dime Magazine. (July, 17, 2007), 25-30.
Womens Basketball, "Salary Scale" http://www.womensbasketballonline.com/
Personal Money Scale, "Wnba Salaries fall short of their male counterparts" http://personalmoneystore.com/moneyblog/2009/04/09/wnba-salaries-fall-short-male-counterparts/
