"Does the WNBA still exist? YES!"
The WNBA(Women's National Basketball Association) was founded in April of 1996, with the inaugural season in 1997...and is bigger than ever now, over 15 years later in 2012!
Labeled and considered a joke by many in the beginning, the WNBA has grown, and it has experienced the pains and trials of growth as well.
It started off with only 8 teams, it currently has 12 teams, with a total of 21 teams having existed, having a little re-location of some franchises along the way.
Believe it or not... the WNBA has had competition!
The ABL(American Basketball League) was competition in the past, with some players like Dawn Staley and Nikki McCray defecting to the WNBA from there. The current competitor is the NWBL(National Women's Basketball League), though some teams from that league are going to be joining the WNBA soon.
The original spokes-persons for the league were Lisa Leslie(L.A. Sparks), Rebecca Lobo(N.Y. Liberty), and Sheryl Swoopes(Houston Comets). In the beginning the financial angles were difficult, with NBC(Televised 1st game) and the Lifetime Women's Network airing the games, ratings weren't great at first. However, thru the evolution of the league, it now airs it's games on ESPN, ABC, and NBA-TV.
The first dunk in a game was performed by Lisa Leslie(6'7), yes... I said the first DUNK!!
Other players have also dunked in games since then!
The league has had a couple well-known male coaches, like Bill Laimbeer of the Detroit Pistons "Bad Boys"in the late 80's into the 90's, and Michael Cooper of the 1980's Los Angeles Lakers' dynasty. Both have coached their ladies to WNBA titles.
In 2009, the economy was in the gutter everywhere, yet NBA Commissioner David Stern issued this statement, "The NBA is far less profitable than the WNBA. We're losing alot of money among a large number of teams." WOW!
The league's attendance currently ranges from 4,000-11,000 people per game, obviously depending on venues, and that is simply outstanding!
The sister of NBA Hall of Fame Guard Reggie Miller(Indiana Pacers), Cheryl Miller, played at USC, and is still considered by most to be the best women's player ever. She didn't get the opportunity to play in the WNBA, the league was founded a bit after her playing time, due to injury unfortunately. She did coach in the WNBA from 1997-2000 though. As a player she was drafted to play into a few professional leagues however, one being the USBL(United States Basketball League), a Men's League! In her time at USC she scored 3,018 points, grabbed 1,534 rebounds, winning the Naismith Award(Women's Player of the Year) 3 times. She led USC to the National Title in 1983 and 1984, and also won the Gold Medal in the 1984 Olympics.
The league's first big star played in Houston, but it wasn't Swoopes! The league's first MVP, Cynthia Cooper, who played with Miller at USC, won the award the first two seasons of existence. She won the Gold Medal in the 1988 Olympics and the Bronze Medal in the 1992 games.
Impressively, the WNBA has quietly been one of the most economically sound professional sports leagues, with a salary cap of $827,000($900,000 by 2013) per team, and player salaries ranging from for $51,000+ for 3+ year players... $101,500+for 6+ year players... and a rookie minimum salary of $35,190.
In the future the league will get even better with the shot-blocking, dunking phenom, Brittany Griner from Baylor, standing at 6'8, on her way, likely becoming the league's big star of the future.
So... Does the WNBA still exist? YES!
I would like to say FANTASTIC JOB! to commissioners Val Ackermen(1997-2005) and Donna Orender(2005-2010). I'm sure that the current commissioner Laurel J. Ritchie will carry on the success of their legacies into the future.
Well done ladies, well done.
