Donna Orender speaks out for WNBA

We've had a lively discussion in recent weeks on this site about the viability of the WNBA as a professional league.

We started with an opening shot from Melissa Rohlin, a freelance writer and basketball player/fan who doesn't believe the WNBA offers much entertainment value.

That drew a response from the very talented Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi, who, of course, believes in the league, and a WNBA fan, Sue Favor, who used some excellent research to support her points.

Taurasi later invited the high school girls' basketball team from Palisades High to be her guest at a Sparks-San Antonio playoff game and just might have changed some of their young minds.

We enjoyed our experience with her so much that we invited her to become a regular contributor to the Fabulous Forum. But she already has an arrangement, unfortunately for us, with Yard Barker.

Now the league's commissioner, Donna Orender, has weighed in with an opinion piece for the Detroit Free Press.

She makes a particularly strong case for the impact the WNBA has on young girls who want to play professional sports -- and aren't particularly interested in the Lingerie Bowl. (That last comment was mine, not hers.)

-- Randy Harvey

Comments

[JLannd]

Professional sports are great and I enjoy them very much. However, they are only part of what is out their for young people to see and strive to become. You should be reminded that very few individuals go on to be professionals. Colleges are on television as well plus local colleges or high schools offer good and competitve games that can found through research in your local newspaper.
I actually watch some WNBA games and some women's college games on television, but for young adults that level of game may be beyond there understanding.