Sports Illustrated - USA (2021-12)

A WILDLY SUCCESSFUL FINALS MADE CLEAR THAT

THE WNBA HAS THE TALENT TO FILL MORE TEAMS

THINK BIGGER

SCORECARD

K

NEWSMAKERS

AHLEAH COPPER was

the victor and wanted to

enjoy the spoils, which in

her mind did not mean talking to the

media. The Sky had won their first

WNBA title, beating the Mercury

in four games. Copper, 27, was the

Finals MVP. But when she ducked

into the press conference room at

Chicago’s Wintrust Arena wearing

champagne-resistant goggles and

was asked to stay, she asked, “Right

now?” She had celebrating to do.

Right now is a good summation

of when the WNBA should

expand, for both business and

basketball reasons. It has had

12 teams since 2010, which is

too small for a major U.S. sports

league. Four of the nine largest TV

markets do not have a WNBA team.

That includes Copper’s hometown

of Philadelphia, which is No. 4,

is as passionate about sports as

any city in the U.S. and has a rich

basketball history.

In its 25th season, the WNBA has

both the product and the surfeit

of talent to expand. This year, for

the first time since the league’s

early days, the regular-season MVP

(Sun forward Jonquel Jones) and

the Finals MVP (Copper) were

players drafted outside the top five,

affirming the WNBA’s depth.

In the Finals, Chicago faced

a star-laden Phoenix team that

featured guard Diana Taurasi,

recently named Greatest of All Time

in a fan vote; the league’s dominant

inside force, Brittney Griner; and

a first-team All-WNBA guard,

Skylar Diggins-Smith. Yet the Sky

soundly beat the Mercury with

a quicker, deeper, defensively

superior and more skilled team.

It was beautiful basketball.

Real hoopheads know. Before

Game 2 in Phoenix, the NBA’s

Suns and Trail Blazers played a

preseason game on the same court;

afterward, not only did the Suns

stay to watch the WNBA, but the

visitors from Portland did as well.

There was some grumbling

from WNBA players and coaches

about respect during the playoffs.

They complained about f lying

commercial, on separate planes.

During his press conference before

Game 2, as the Zoom link failed,

Chicago coach James Wade said,

“Is there such a thing as NBA

cameras? They probably work.” The

frustration was understandable,

but the solutions are not simple.

What the WNBA needs more

than anything is an aggressive

expansion and marketing plan that

spreads a fantastic product around

the country. The WNBA’s approach

to the media and merchandise

sales still lags far behind other

leagues’; the Mercury skipped

their postgame media session after

losing the championship and were

fined just $10,000.

Copper showed that the elite

talent pool is deeper than ever.

The Sky showed that a city that did

not have a team for the league’s

first decade could fall in love with

one. The WNBA has the product.

It is time to sell it more effectively,

and in more places.

BY MICHAEL ROSENBERG

CHI HIGH

Finals MVP Copper averaged

17.0 points and 5.5 assists, leading

the Sky to their first championship.

BA

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