Sagging ratings and attendance seem to indicate that like it's brother league, the WNBA has an image problem.
While many laud the players as being more "fundamentally pure" and "playing for the love of the game", an equal number of critics pan the league for simply being boring.
The girls can't dunk, shoot about as accurately as Dick Chaney, and worse, there's that whole "don't ask, don't tell" thing that seems to hurt it's overall marketability. In short, the players generally lack the sex appeal necessary to pull in a significant male audience which, let's be honest, is essential if you're gonna turn a profit.
Since I'm a certified hoops junkie, I once tried my best to get into the sport. After all, we only recently got Major League Baseball[1] in DC, so Summers here used to be hell on a sports fan. Especially that dead period between the end of the NBA playoffs and the start of NFL training camp.
So, when the Washington MissTakes Mystics got rolling a decade ago, I tried very hard to become a fan. I wanted them to succeed for so many reasons. I'm all for girl power and whatnot, but foreal foreal, it's all about the game. And while I generally enjoyed the live in-game presentation, despite how hard I tried, all the savvy marketing in the world couldn't hide the fact that the on-court product was a mere five steps above rec-league ball.
Outlet passes sailed into the 10th row. Teams could literally go 20 straight possessions without a made field goal. Uncontested layups were blown.
It wasn't lookin' too good for the league.
Then, suddenly out of nowhere came the WNBA's savior, wearing the #23 no less, college star Chamique Holdsclaw.
She was supposed to revolutionize the game. She could score in bunches. She had off-the-dribble moves you only see dudes pull off. She had a magnetic personality. She could draw crowds. She even liked guys.[2]
One problem: She didn't wanna be bothered.
After a few productive but hardly world-changing seasons, Mique' finally called it quits, citing exhaustion and no longer having a "love for the game" as reasons. She also underwent a very serious and very public bout with depression in the process.
I wasn't exactly buying tickets to go see the MissTakes Mystics[3] in the first place, but once Mique' flamed out, I wasn't even taking the free hookups anymore. Why bother wasting the Metro fare?
With the league's savior essentially rendered a bust, ratings crumbled and attendance, even in a flagship city like DC, began to plummet. While the Mystics used to pack in crowds of 15,000 or better in their heyday (largely due to some very generous ticket giveaways), the joint is hardly even a quarter full nowadays. Many teams have folded. And the NBA's model for eventual self-sufficiency never panned out. As is, the league loses money annually, and is little more than corporate welfare a tax-write off for it's parent corporation.
So much for Girl Power!
But just when you thought it was time to fold up the pink tent and go home, the league recently unveiled it's newest Great Black Hype: a chick who not only can dunk, but also likes guys (she dates former Duke star Shelden "Tippy Turtle" Williams), and can actually ball.
Only time will tell if Candace Parker is a legitimate Femme-J or just another Chamique. Till then, give her credit for throwing down a brolic, SportsCenter-quality jam the other night versus Indiana. At least somebody's paying attention for once, which is a nice start.
Question: What do you think needs to be done for women's pro basketball to become a viable (read: lucrative and self-sustaining) business? Have you been to a live WNBA game? What were your impressions?
Parker Says More Dunks Are Coming [LA Times]
[1] Although with their record, you could certainly debate the fact that there's anything "major" about the Nats. At least those iconic "curly W" caps are retro cool. That's about the best I can say for them. Like most other DC sports teams, they suck!
[2] Please don't get too tied up on the whole "likes guys" thing. AB.com doesn't care about your sexual orientation, only your unique visits continued presence. But reality is, whether you're talking males or females, it's proven to be far easier to market a straight athlete to Middle America. Exhibit A: Sheryl Swoopes. Exhibit B: Greg Louganis. And BTW, [||].
[3] How ironic and unintentionally funny is it that Bob Johnson's ex-wife ended up buying her own pro basketball team (the Mystics) with the fortune she inherited from their divorce?
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Can Candace Parker Save The WNBA!?!?
Tags Popped: NBA = Nuthin' But Africans, Web Junk
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I think one thing that was great was that a couple seasons ago the Mystics were making a concerted effort to reach out to the Lesbian community. Maybe it's time for the WNBA to face the facts, stop trying to cowtow to the homophobia of the black men who AREN'T watching the game anyway, and actually reach out to those who may watch it.
Not to mention the fact that it would be a great influence on younger girls to learn that they can have influences who are strong, athletic, and interesting. Who the women sleep with should mean nothing and it's about time that little black girls had someone to look up to other than Beyonce.
I think the major failure of the WNBA has been that it wants to reach the male audience that will never accept it - no matter how many pretty, dunking, heterosexual stars it has. The assumption or belief that most women atheletes are lesbian permeates society too much for them to over come it. The WNBA - like all womens sports - needs to think outside of the box and try to find its audience elsewhere
Its got to be an American thing, because pro women's basketball is popular every where BUT the US.The WNBA might try to do a World Cup style of deal with other countries
@ Gracie B: how would you suggest reaching out to them ? Lesbian or not, women aren't going to these games either, with the possible exception of the Seattle Storm. They have a better fan base than the Sonics do.
Okay, I'll say it. I don't like it. I'm a sports fanatic, I've called into sports radio and all, subscribe to ESPN the Magazine, wake up/fall asleep to Sportscenter, watch Mike and Mike in the Morning.
But there is nothing on God's green earth that can get me to go. I could live walking distance, had a free ticket, and a free popcorn and drink voucher- I'm not going.
But last month I flew to Minneapolis from Florida to see my Yankees play the Twins.
Just can't get into it.
I'd do a lot of outreach to girls programs. A lot. Hoping to get the parents in the stands with their kids. I'd encourage the players to do LOTS of clinics with kids - both boys and girls. If basketball is anything like golf, it's actually better to watch women play to gain technical knowledge because women move more slowly and in golf you can better analyze the swing. As far as reaching the GLBT communittee - actually making an effort and reaching out and saying: we want you at the games. Allowing the stars who want to be out to be out and proud and participate in GLBT community events will make a tremendous difference.
There's a whole bunch of things that they could do and should do for the WNBA.
#1. Pump up Candice Parker like she's Jesus Shuttlesworth. She has lots of qualities that appeal to the male audiences. She's cute. Which in WNBA terms means she's not only the best player but also the best looking player on the court.
2. Realize that the game cannot stand on it's own merit. The womens collegiate game piggy backs on the buzz surrounding the men's game. So the WNBA should piggy back on the buzz(whatever that may be) of the NBA. The seasons should happen around the same time.
3. Get the fans involved by offering a double-header every once in a while. 9 or 10 times every season you should be able to come see the Atlanta Dream(new WNBA franchise featuring the spirited, yet cross-eyed 'Ivory Latta' of UNC) and the Atlanta Hawks with a single paid Atanta Hawks ticket. There should be a 45 minute gap between games and during the Women's game fans can sit anywhere they want.
@AB imagine you have tickets to see the Wizards take on the L.A. Lakers and included with your ticket is a chance to see the LA. Sparks and sit behind the bench to see ole girl up close and personal. Would you pay 5 extra dollars to see that?
@ gracie
Interesting PoV. Welcome. Hope you stick around.
@ symphony
Give the ladies a chance live and in person before you completely write them off.
@ cjames
#1. Pump up Candice Parker like she's Jesus Shuttlesworth.
Agreed. They seem to be doing this with their new ads, but they could do more. She's marketable.
The WNBA should piggy back on the buzz of the NBA. The seasons should happen around the same time.
The WNBA's dirty little secret is that it was really invented to give NBA owners 20 or so more events for their arenas during the Summer months, which are typically not easy to fill with events.
Pulling doubleheaders with the NBA might boost the WNBA's attendance, but would would also undermine the very reasons the league was created (more arena dates, and girl power!).
the Atlanta Dream(new WNBA franchise featuring the spirited, yet cross-eyed 'Ivory Latta' of UNC)
LMAO! I'm quitting while I'm ahead bruh. That's enough.
AB, I don't think watching in person will make much a difference. I've watched enough woman's basketball to know that what I see on the court doesn't appeal to me. Thats just me.
Going to a game in person is also about the socializing. And though I may enjoy laughing with the people around me thats not the game.
There isn't a team in my state anyway.
For the people who do enjoy it I hope it thrives.
People watch sports to see superhuman abilities. We want to see humans do stuff we cant. Until the WNBA displays better skills than eighth grade basketball nobody is going to watch and the NBA will continue to get a 50 million dollar per year tax writeoff.
Now, if you want people to watch, you need to get rid of the braids, tell them to put on makeup, get rid of the unattractive ones, put on some spandex and then make sure some of them are caught kissing at least once during the game.
Do that, and the ratings will soar!
Avg Bro - how could you not mention Tamika Catchings of the Indiana Fever, daughter of Harvey Catchings?
She can play ball, she's attractive, and if she's gay, no one knows. (yet)
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