In these challenging and unprecedented economic times, no company or organization seems safe from the effects of the downturn. From Wall Street to Main Street, we're all reading about the struggles affecting everyone. And yes, even professional sports organizations are admitting that they are feeling the pinch.

Can you please share with us how this is affecting the WNBA overall, and specifically, the L.A. Sparks? What adjustments are the Sparks making to address it? Will it affect player negotiations? Special events for Home Court Advantage fans? Are sponsorships harder to come by? Thanks for sharing with us what you can. (Lorena, Pasadena)

A. Lorena,

You bring up very valid questions that I’m sure are troubling a lot of Sparks fans and WNBA fans alike. The good news is that this situation is an isolated one. The Houston Comets didn’t fold because of the current economic situation. There were other factors surrounding their ownership that created this problem. The WNBA tried with all of its power to keep the franchise alive and find new owners. It couldn’t be done in time.

That being said, the WNBA has never been stronger; we are up in just about every major category: ticket sales, sponsorship, attendance, ratings. You name it. The league is getting stronger because of you and thousands of other dedicated fans like you. The influx of talent that we saw in the league this past year, including our very own Candace Parker has a lot to do with the recent upswing of the league. In 2008, there were 46 sell-outs across the league and the WNBA was able to sign five new partners including McDonalds, Kia, Pitney Bowes, IHOP & Milk.

As far as the Sparks organization, HCA and our Sponsorships go; we are moving forward full speed ahead. Our Director of Corporate Sponsorships, Brandon Winslow told me that, “We have a strong, dedicated group of current sponsors and I’m continuing to build relationships with new ones.” So it seems like on that front we’ll be alright. As far as player negotiations, we work with a salary cap and as long as we stay within what we have, we will be just fine. HCA is an important piece to connecting us all together. There may be some changes in the future but they will be changes that will enhance the program. I hope that answers your questions…

Q. It seems to me that the WNBA still has not gained respect based on some comments I hear on the radio and read on the internet. Do you feel that the Sparks get more respect because of such superstars as Lisa Leslie and Candace Parker?

What can the Sparks do to get more visibility with these nay-sayers and perhaps help them to come around to this exciting team that L.A. is offering? The grass roots community events you are doing are great! In addition to that, would it help if some of the high-profile players could get more time on some of the local and national radio and T.V. sports shows so they can educate sports fans about the league and what it has to offer? (Lorena, Pasadena)

A. Oh, Lorena, Lorena - This has been a question/subject that has plagued WNBA teams and PR Directors for years. We all know how talented the players in the league are and especially here in L.A. where we have three of the best in the world. I think that the addition of Candace and the return of Lisa helped us generate a lot of publicity this year; Lisa’s the face of the WNBA for goodness sakes and Candace came in and surpassed all expectations for her. The key is going to be keeping it going.

We appreciate our fans support when we reach out in the community and it’s good to know that the events we’re putting on are enjoyable. Whatever we can do to raise awareness in Los Angeles, we’re going to try and do it. Candace has been on various programs with ESPN and she did a spot with Good Morning America. Lisa just finished taping the Best Damn Sports Show Period. So I think that things are coming together and that people are starting to pay attention. Part of my job is to get our players represented on the various media outlets and believe me, my goal is for us to have a year-round presence in Los Angeles so come next season the STAPLES Center is rocking!

Q. I know it’s after the fact, but I want to know why Keisha Brown did not play in the western conference finals and only dressed once. Surely Coop could have played her in place of Shannon or Temeka???? (Debbie)

A. Don’t beat yourself up about it being after the fact. This is first time you’ve been able to openly ask your question. J Put it to you like this, KB gave us some great minutes this year and hit some big shots. Who knows why coaches do what they do sometimes? He’s getting paid to put together a game plan and execute it. In his mind, maybe he didn’t see a need for what KB brought to the table based on our match-up. And that’s all it is. Each game we have to pick a different player, (sometimes two), to put on the inactive list and it’s usually based on how we’re going to play the game. Could she have made a difference in the outcome? Maybe, maybe not. In my opinion, I wish that we didn’t have an active/inactive list; it would be one less thing for people to worry about.