With the WNBA’s 20th season about to begin, ESPN the Magazine is honoring the milestone anniversary with its first issue dedicated to the women’s basketball league.
The historic WNBA20 issue not only provides insight into the most gripping matchups of the 2016 season — like Saturday’s matchup between the defending champion Minnesota Lynx and the Phoenix Mercury — but also deeper issues of gender, diversity , salary disparities with the men’s league, the pressure to be the best player. No. 1 draft pick and why some players spend the offseason in Russia.
In the magazine, writer Steve Wulf recalls that “the entire history of the WNBA began 20 years ago with a ball that looked like breakfast (orange and oatmeal) and a slogan that made lose theirs to the grammarians: ‘We Got Next'”, June 21. , 1997, when the Los Angeles Sparks hosted the New York Liberty at the Forum in Inglewood, California.
Two decades later, stars like Skylar Diggins and Elena Delle Donne have become role models for male and female fans around the world.
These beautiful, statuesque women are fully celebrated as they grace the pages of ESPN’s special issue in captivating action photos featuring current and former players: Maya Moore, Elena Delle Donne, Chiney Ogwumike, Breanna Stewart, Skylar Diggins, Sue Bird, Tina. Thompson, Teresa Weatherspoon, Rebecca Lobo, Tina Charles, Tamika Catchings and Katie Smith.
TheWrap spoke with ESPN the Magazine and espnW editor-in-chief Alison Overholt about the past, present and future of the WNBA, as well as its impact on a generation of female sports fans.
TheWrap: Aside from the league’s 20th anniversary, why is now the perfect time for a WNBA-themed issue?
Alison Overholt: We did it because of the anniversary, but also because we feel like we’ve gone through a pretty significant shift over the last few years as a culture in general. There are now many more conversations – not just in sport but across the board – about the importance of embracing diversity, not just as a statement of belief, but because it makes us all stronger. Diversity leads to innovation, whether it’s business innovations or social progress, and we finally understand that the more different voices you bring into the conversation, the more dynamic and wonderful the end product becomes.
It’s an exciting time because there is a whole generation of young people who have grown up knowing that women are professional athletes who can make money from the sport. There’s a real “before and after story” to tell: those of us who are older remember that there was a time when people thought it was crazy for women to make money from to professional sport.
Throughout the issue, we’ve included a few comments from 18-year-olds who have never lived in a world without a professional women’s league. The interesting lens through which they view the league is very different from that of some of our hardened journalists, who have spent the last 20 years criticizing it. You see it through the eyes of these teenagers, who set their standards and based their goals on knowing that this league exists.
What is the impact of the WNBA on women’s sports in general?
Once you have a league that has been able to exist and grow, it sets a standard for others to follow. Every group that comes next has a model for success: a model that pays players and attracts fans. Without the WNBA, do you have the women’s professional hockey league? This allowed everyone to imagine what is possible when we see that even one person has succeeded.
In this issue, you look at both the brilliant accomplishments of the WNBA and some of the ongoing struggles it faces. Why was this so important to the magazine?
This is not a pure celebration or commemoration, but a real critical look at the WNBA at 20 years old. There’s a lot to celebrate, but we also have a responsibility to look at the reality of what it’s like for the players. – it’s not all sunshine and roses. The joy and glory are there, but on the other hand, you have to ask yourself, “What is this experience really like?” »
We have a story in the issue that examines what some call the league’s “savior complex” — where every year a star is drafted No. 1 (this year it was Breanna Stewart of the Seattle Storm) and there there are so many expectations on this person’s shoulders. Will they be the breakout star for the WNBA and make female basketball players pop culture icons like so many male athletes are?
The draft is so wonderful but the pressure is so intense – and is it as good as it can be? What is the reality of playing in a league that isn’t flush with funding or as hugely successful as other sports leagues? The fact is that this is still a young league and there is a long way to go.
This struggle is detailed in Kate Fagan’s feature, “Lost and Found in Russia,” which follows Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi as they play in Russia during the offseason to boost their WNBA salaries. Is this typical?
Interestingly, women’s basketball players have been playing overseas for much longer. We see the life they lead in another country – where, on one hand, there can be social isolation, there is the language barrier and cultural gaps, and on the other hand, the salary is much higher. It’s really interesting to see this juxtaposition.
In addition to being fascinating to read, this issue is visually stunning. Why was it so important to capture these women in action rather than in typical portraits?
What we talked a lot about was how to photograph these women in an authentically powerful way, because they are strong athletes and there is a grace and beauty that comes from the way they play their sport. Too often people don’t know how to pull on women in a way that shows their strength. And beauty in the same artistic space. A lot of our goal was how do we bring out the duality in all of these women? If we come to the conclusion that women can be strong, graceful, beautiful and powerful at the same time, then that would be my dream for this issue.
The photo shoots were so crazy I couldn’t believe we took over 9,000 photos. This team was so heroic because it was a crazy two days but so much fun. I’ve never been on such a logistically intense set before, between shots we were repainting the floor because the spray painted balls left silver marks, we didn’t think about the fact that people were sweating when They were driving balls towards the hoops!
What do you predict for the future of the WNBA?
I would like to see a future where these women are evaluated on their own basis. These athletes are on their own march to greatness, so stop comparing them to men. I would like them to be appreciated on their own merits.
The WNBA20 issue of ESPN the Magazine is on newsstands now.
ESPN announces its 14-game regular season television schedule for the WNBA’s historic 20th year on Saturday, May 14, aat 7:30 p.m.mr. ET, when the defending champion Minnesota Lynx and four-time WNBA All-Star Maya Moore host the Phoenix Mercury and nine-time WNBA All-Star Diana Taurasi.
