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WNBA FINALS: MERCURY v SHOCKSeptember 8, 2007Donna OrenderDETROIT MICHIGAN: Game Two RON HOWARD: Once again, welcome to Game 2 of the WNBA 2007 Finals. And welcome to our media availability with WNBA President Donna Orender. Donna will begin with opening remarks and we will open the floor to questions when she's concluded. DONNA ORENDER: We're back. It's hard to believe that we are now concluding our 11th season because it seems like just yesterday we were really celebrating in grand fashion our first decade. I have to tell you that anybody here, and Michelle, I know you follow our league all the time because I read your column to know what's going on so I'm anxious what you're going to say tomorrow after my comments today. But again, as I spoke about when I introduced Armintie Price obviously with Coach Hughes, both of them great contributors to the incredible exponential growth in the quality of play in this league, scoring's up again this year, last year we were up 7 points, this year we're up another 1 and a half and while I can't stand here in front of you and promise or even say that the next year it's going to be up another eight points or another seven points, but the fact that we have increased our scoring to the degree that we have, with unbelievable talent, I think really it is just adding to the growth and the following of this league. 11 years. Last night I had the privilege of being at the Basketball Hall of Fame induction and the first recipient was Coach Van Chancellor, a man who has been in coaching 30 years like you, Coach Hughes and spoke about the exponential impact the WNBA has had on women's basketball, needless to say, on that man's career, who now stands among the greats as a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame. Before the WNBA tipped off in 1997, this really wasn't a role model for young girls to appear in any way, certainly not in professional team sports not in any way that we have it now because of the WNBA. I was talking to Armintie Price, she was 10 years old when she -- when the WNBA came into existence. So really, as she began to mature as a young woman, as an athlete, she had something to look to and that really is a tremendous gift that the WNBA brings to our society and culture in general and it should be no surprise to anybody and yet as I go around the country and speak, I do find out people are not really cognizant of the fact that basketball is by far the number one participation sport for girls. Number two? Track and field. I was surprised when I read that. I know that I obviously thought it was something else, but it is track and field. In terms of our overall business, we started this year with the goal of getting our attendance up. And I'm happy to report, as has been reported in the trades, that WNBA attendance is up. It's the first time that it's up in, I guess it's been about four or five years now. But we really do believe it's a foundation of continued growth for any of you who have attended our All-Star Game this year we sold out, had 19 thousand plus in the building. It truly was a great celebration for the WNBA. And for all fans of women's basketball. TV ratings so far are up to date on the playoffs, up 15 percent over last year. And in terms of our overall performance on the court, the Connecticut Sun became the first WNBA team to score 100 points in consecutive games. Lauren Jackson tied a league record scoring 47 points. The Phoenix Mercury average a record 88 points per game. Off the court, let me just also mention our business partners because they're tracking right along with us. We understand that this is a business. The WNBA, each and every day, is proving the viability of these, of this business. We like to say and as a matter of fact I had a potential owner say to me the other day, he was reading a book about Bob Cousy and he was really kind of struck at what was happening in the NBA in its formative years. And he said year-to-year comparison, the WNBA is so much further ahead than any other league who had a started out. Yes, it's a different time, but we're proud of our progress, our partners are demonstrating we with them are alive, we're very happy with the increased involvement of the Discover card, of AOL, obviously we just presented the WNBA Coach of the Year presented by AOL. Meridian, Ocean Spray, and of course the sponsors that have been with us such a long time such as Nike, Adidas, Russell and of course Gatorade. I just wanted to mention one or thing that was just brought to my attention before I came up here. Game 1 and I think all of the playoffs everywhere I've gone everyone I spoke to up until this date has remarked in terms of these playoffs being the most exciting in the league's history. I hope today will add to that, we will only know that in another about three hours, two hours time when it's played. But there were more records set in Game 1 between Phoenix and the Shock, this year, Wednesday, than any time in our history. Again, speaking to the quality of play. I can tell you that I do hope that this series goes to five, as I invited a guest on the other day, a friend in Detroit, he said, "well, look your team won." And I had to explain that they're all my teams. And so I look forward to exciting five game series and I also look forward to any of your questions that I can answer. Q. Have you reviewed the Cappie Pondexter/Deanna Nolan exchange and is there a similar rule in the WNBA as there is in the NBA if you come off the bench there's a suspension? And if so, would you consider that kind of a rule? DONNA ORENDER: I would tell you that our basketball operations group reviews every game in detail. All the officiating, any kind of incidents that have happened and if there's anything that they think is untoward that needs to be reviewed, it would be reviewed and in this case it has been reviewed and there's been no recommendations in terms of what you're suggesting. Q. But is there a rule in place for if somebody comes off the bench? DONNA ORENDER: I would really want to ask Renee for that. Whether we have the same exact rule as the NBA. We parallel very closely, but it's not always exact for a good reason, generally. Q. That's a big controversy in Phoenix, given the Amare Stoudemire? DONNA ORENDER: I'm aware of that. Q. And people have mentioned that in Phoenix. DONNA ORENDER: That's good to know. Knowing that we're going there next week, it's good to know that. Q. Obviously you didn't get the crowd you were hoping for for Game 1. Are you concerned that today your opposite a U of M home game and if there's a Game 5 you will be opposite the Lion's home opener? DONNA ORENDER: No. Not concerned. Q. How concerned are you when you hear some of the league's top players talking about seriously going overseas and just playing there and not playing here at all. DONNA ORENDER: If you were here when Lauren Jackson got her Most Valuable Player Award I thought she put it most eloquently. When she said the WNBA's the best league in the world. If you want to have any credential anywhere to play in the world you have to play in the WNBA. And as such we really have created a global market and we're happy that our players play overseas and we're happy that when they come back and honestly the growth of our game the growth of the WNBA will insure that this league really maintains its number one status around the world. I am not concerned about it. Q. In terms of the playoffs, do you anticipate the format with the three game series for the first two and then five staying the same for the next, for the foreseeable future? DONNA ORENDER: I would say looking into 2008, yes, there has been discussions about making it a one, one, one versus the one, two. However, I don't anticipate it changing in light of the fact that we just have a lot going on next year with it being an Olympic year. That said, every year we look at our schedule and look at ways that we can improve it. Q. How is the WNBA doing in terms of profitability both as a league and on a team to team basis? DONNA ORENDER: I would tell you that in terms of overall the league, we are doing extremely well and we anticipate -- I know my predecessor put a date out there and you hate to do that, but I would tell you that we are very close to certainly break even and anticipate with our new television deal profitability coming from that. So we feel like we're in pretty good shape. Next question. Q. Going back to Chris's question for a second, obviously the level of play is, like Lauren said, is good in this league, but are you concerned -- DONNA ORENDER: She said it was the best. Q. Okay. The best. Are you concerned that with the amount of money that seems are starting to pay in European asking the players to play 11 or 12 months a year, if they play both overseas and play here, that there is going to be star players who are going to take a year off because they have already built those credentials, and play for a team in Moscow for the amount of money they're getting and not play here just because of the salary cap situation? DONNA ORENDER: I would say that it's a possibility. And that would be fine. I think there are players who are coming to the end of their career who can capitalize and I would never suggest that anyone shouldn't try to make and capitalize, -- make money and capitalize at the end of their career. But truthfully, where this league is pointed, if you look at the level of talent, where it's going to come, looking at the greatest draft that we have the in history of the league coming up, I am really not concerned about it. RON HOWARD: Thank you very much, Donna. And thank you for attending and participating. End of FastScripts |
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