Chat with Val Ackerman

Ackerman

Val Ackerman was named President of the Women's National Basketball Association in August 1996 and during her six years at the helm, the league has showcased the best and the brightest athletes in its realm, has doubled in size and has won over a broad and loyal fan base both at home and abroad.

The WNBA prepares to toss up its signature oatmeal and orange ball for the first time of the 2002 season this weekend when the 2001 champion Los Angles Sparks host the New York Liberty on Saturday, May 25 at the STAPLES Center (3 p.m. ET). Ackerman will be on hand Saturday to present the Sparks with their championship rings but she be will check in with you right here first to talk about all things WNBA.

See what President Val Ackerman had to say about league expansion, the new crop of WNBA talent, the Charlotte Sting, and more!


Moderator: Hello everyone and thank you for joining us. We will have Val Ackerman here shortly. Send in your questions for Val!

Val Ackerman: Hi, everyone! I don't know about you, but I can't wait for the start of our sixth season this Saturday. From the reports we get from our teams, our camps have been very competitive, and this is truly shaping up to be our best season ever. I want to thank all of you for supporting us, and I look forward to taking your questions and hearing your thoughts about the WNBA this afternoon.


Tiffanie B. (Dallas): Congrats, Val on the WNBA's sixth season. Thank you for working so hard to make it a success. My question is, with all the different talents in the WNBA what could be the most exciting thing to happen in the league this year: 1.) a slam dunk by Michelle Snow, 2.) the L.A. Sparks going undefeated,3.) the race for WNBA rookie of the year, or 4.) the Houston Comets winning another championship?

Val Ackerman: The answer is 5.) All of the above! We expect some great stories to come out of the league this year -- the Comets-Sparks rivalry is very real, and when these two teams meet each other this season it will be women's basketball at it's best. We look forward to having the rookie class in the league and feel sure that the big four from UConn, Michelle Snow, Nikki Teasley, Stacey Dales-Schuman and others will make their mark early. And, here's a tip: the player to watch will be Tamika Catchings.


cdb (San Francisco ): Val, total props to you and the whole WNBA ... I think this is going to be the best year ever, again!!! There was a (small) article in today's San Francisco Chronicle saying that there might be a Bay Area team by 2004 ... is there any truth to this rumor? If so, I suggest the "Amazon's" to go along with the "Warriors" ... it would be great, but right now my heart is left in Sacramento!

Val Ackerman: The Golden State Warriors of the NBA, who play in Oakland, have expressed a strong interest in operating a WNBA team in the future. Our talks with the Warriors are at an early stage, but I think there's a very good chance that we could have a team in Oakland as early as 2004. The region has a very good history of supporting women's sports, and we believe it would be an ideal market for the WNBA. So, stay tuned.


SparksGhostWriter (Inglewood): Are there any current conversations and/or ideas to modify the playoffs, especially extending the final round to the best of five and starting the series on the home court of the best team? As a fan, this issues ignites a SPARK in me. :)

Val Ackerman: There's nothing concrete to report yet, but we are reviewing our schedule with an eye to potentially adding some games in future seasons and extending the season later into September. There are no imminent plans with respect to the playoffs, but the kinds of adjustments you mentioned are changes we would certiainly consider making over time.


SbUcOnN10: What do you think of Sue Bird?

Val Ackerman: There's no question in my mind that Sue has the potential to be a great star in the WNBA, and I think she represents one of the new breed in women's basketball. I read an article where she and Lauren Jackson were likened to Karl Malone and John Stockton in the NBA, I think their prospects of making that kind of an impact in women's basketball are very good.


Kiddstark: Any update on the san antionio movement, and the possibility of Golden state filing for a franchise in 2004? and will it be expansion or will it be the San Antionio sting?

Val Ackerman: A season ticket sales drive is currently underway in San Antonio, and if the team reaches six thousand deposits by November 15, they've been guaranteed a WNBA team for 2003. So far, the response from fans in San Antonio has been tremendous, and we believe this will be an ideal place to have a WNBA team.


Willie - Fowler: The WUSA is getting some heat lately for marketing their players in a more "feminine" manner. Is this a strategy that the WNBA is thinking of taking as well? How do you feel about a possible player in your league posing in Playboy?

Val Ackerman: What we want most is for our players to be recognized for their accomplishments on the basketball court, because that's at the heart of what the WNBA stands for. What we've learned over the years is that our fans have a great interest in knowing about our players as people, and so our advertising campaign this year, which is entitled "This Is Who I Am", features our players talking about their interests off the court. I believe that physicality is an important part of both men's and women's athletics, and we think we have an oportunity to showcase the strength and power of our players in a very positive way, and in that way convey a new and very contemporary image of women's basketball players.


Devaen: What is going to happen to the Charlotte Sting when the Hornets move? I know the policy so far is to only have WNBA where NBA teams are. Will they stay, or move to New Orleans also?

Val Ackerman: Our plan is to keep the Sting in Charlotte. We have a great deal invested in the market, and we continue to believe that Charlotte is a viable market for women's professional basketball. Because the Hornets are leaving, the WNBA will be assuming control over the Sting's business operations this summer and our hope is that we can find a new operator in Charlotte after the season to replace what we lost with the Hornets.


Moe (Portland): Hi Val. Do you still lace 'em up and play?

Val Ackerman: The last time I played basketball was in a rec league game here in New York City six weeks after my first child was born. The good news was that we won the game; the bad news was that I broke my finger and had to have surgery to fix it. So, that was my omen that my basketball career was better left to a front office position! I do play some basketball now with my two daughters.


Richard (Houston): What do you think about Sheryl Swoopes' comeback? She is one of the greatest ever, but it seems that her knee is still fragile. Any insight on her situation? We need her down here in Houston. Thanks.

Val Ackerman: Sheryl has worked extremely hard to rehabilitate her knee, and I'm very sure she's approaching the season with a sense of mission. It may take her a full season to overcome the mental aspects of recovering from a serious knee injury, as has been the case with many other players, but I feel very confident that we'll see the Sheryl of old before too long and that she will continue to be a great star in the league.


Bianca: Hi Val. Wow, what a nice surprise to be presenting a team other than the Comets with rings this year! My question is on the talent level in the league right now. It seems that this year's draft class wasn't as deep as last year's but veterans who were "on the bubble" seem to be getting cut right and left. Players such as Kisha Ford, Vicki Hall, etc. are being replaced by newer talent. What are your thoughts on this? Thanks!

Val Ackerman: There's no question that the league has become stronger with each passing year, and making a team now is no small feat. Most of the players who were with us in our first season are no longer in the league, and each rookie class has brought another new wave of skilled and confident young players. My guess is that the league will continue to transform itself in future seasons, much like the men's game has changed drastically over the past few decades.


Jill (D.C.): I read your preseason conference call statement about Title IX, and thought it was just fantastic. Do you think the younger players have this sense of history of how far women's sports have come? Do they feel any duty to protect Title IX? I know they are athletes and not politicians, but they are the best potential advocates for this law and its strong enforcement.

Val Ackerman: It's probably very difficult for players today to imagine that many of the things they now take for granted (college scholarships to play basketball, an opportunity to play professionally in the U.S., etc.) were unimaginable not long ago. We have clearly made much progress in women's basketball and in women's sports in general since Title IX was enacted, and I'm hopeful that the WNBA and all of women's sports will continue to make gains going forward.


Traci- on TAB: Where do you see the WNBA in the year 2005?

Val Ackerman: In 2005, I hope the WNBA is bigger and better. By bigger, I mean more teams, a longer schedule, more fans, and a bigger place in the American sports landscape in general. By better, I mean that I hope our game continues to become even more competitive and exciting.


David(Dandridge): Hi Val, Is there any chances for a team in Memphis or Nashville, TN.

Val Ackerman: There is currently an NBA team in Memphis (the Memphis Grizzlies), and there is definitely a possibility that we will have a WNBA team in Memphis in the future. At this point, nothing is imminent, but I had a chance to visit Memphis earlier this year, and I left feeling very confident that the overall interest in women's basketball that exists in the state of Tennessee would work in our favor there, and the fact that Memphis has rated very highly for WNBA games on national television speaks well to our future fan prospects.


Kim, Sacramento: Greetings Val. Looking at the long term success of the league, it's vital to draw more men out to the games (numbers have shown they account for a large percentage of the viewing audience). Is there anything being done to specifically target that segment? Much of the WNBA marketing seems very "female" and "kid" oriented, differing quite a bit from the NBA's usual "general audience" approach.

Val Ackerman: While the WNBA has attracted many female fans, men are an equally important component of our fan base, and our relationship wth the NBA and with traditional sports networks like ESPN gives us an ideal opportunity to reach the male sports fan. In fact, half of our television audience is male. Interestingly, some of our most passionate fans in-arena have been the fathers of young girls. So, our fan development approach involves a lot of different angles.


Sarah (NC): Hi Val! Happy 6th Birthday! I just want to thank you for creating a league that is both entertaining and very inspiring. You are simply the best. Keep it up!

Val Ackerman: Thanks! I can tell you that we wouldn't be where we are today without the incredible support we've received from our fans around the world. We appreciate your enthusiasm and look forward to having you join us for another great season of women's professional basketball.

Thanks to all for your interest in the WNBA, and be sure to tune-in this Saturday as the Liberty visit the Sparks at 3p.m. Eastern on NBC to tip off the action!