WNBA President Donna Orender Stops in Minneapolis
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WNBA President Donna Orender was in Minneapolis on Thursday to watch the Lynx take on the Fever. The league�s president stopped by to answer a few questions about the state of the league and where it is heading in the future.
WNBA President Donna Orender
On the WNBA season up to this point: �I think you have to agree with me, it�s been a great, competitive season. Every morning I get to my office, even when I know the scores from the night before, it�s so tight that I check the standings � who�s where, who�s doing what, who�s playing next. I think the competitive offering of the WNBA this year has been extraordinary.�
On the Lynx: �Do you not love this team? This team has such youthful, exuberant energy. They�re a joy to be around. I look at their highlights every day. I check on what they�re doing. I actually read their tweets. I like keeping in touch with this team. It�s a really great, tight group. Very appealing.�
On the league thriving against skepticism from critics: �I�m a competitor. There�s nothing better than moving something forward especially in the face of adversity. It makes it all worthwhile. Because really it�s all about the fans. It�s about the families that come. It�s the moms and the dads and the kids and all the letters that we get saying this means something to us. It might not mean something to everybody, but there�s certainly a large enough contingent here that�s growing all the time that the WNBA has real impact.�
On worrying about losing franchises: �I would say in a business environment that�s constantly challenging. And there�s always the possibility that something can impact the business that�s not about this business but outside this business. I always have to allow for that possibility.�
On concern when the Lynx lost Seimone Augustus: �I would tell you that being a huge Seimone Augustus fan, my first feelings always go out for the athlete because I know what it means for them to compete. The way this team stacked up, the way she was performing early, I�m like now what. But the answer came like that. This team closed ranks, paid their tribute to Seimone and said, �Hey, we�re going to win with her and for her.� And they showed that early on.
�Everybody is proving pretty resilient. And there�s a lot of players waiting on the sidelines to come on in who are in shape and working out. I think there�s a tremendous amount of talent in the WNBA.�
On the impact of technology on growing the league: �What�s interesting about the WNBA, and if you don�t recognize this, it�s important to note, it truly has a national fan base. We have 13 markets but our fans are all over. If you look at our television ratings, a lot of our top television ratings are outside of our WNBA markets. Most of the feedback I get from our fans is we want to see more games. So we wanted to give them what they wanted.
�We launched without a lot of fanfare, without a lot of marketing. In seven weeks time, we served over one million streams. To me that says band strength in terms of fans and interest. That�s where we are. It�s meant a lot. And where they�re coming in from, not only from the United State but they�re coming in globally as well. Again, strong interest in and growing interest in the WNBA.�
On jersey sponsorships: �The marquee partnerships are absolutely working. LifeLock is very happy in Phoenix. Farmer�s Insurance clearly is doing well in L.A. There are teams actually talking with several sponsors. Obviously we would not roll those out until next season and we think they�re an important element of the whole business equation for the WNBA.�
On where she expects to see the WNBA in five years: �My expectations are always great. Isn�t that what we say? I would expect that we will be able to continue to grow. I think we understand our business more and more every day. We understand our strengths and how we need to build on those strengths. To your point, there�s so much avid, passionate core interest in this league that I think can help sustain it. I don�t ever think there won�t be bumps along the way, but what new business doesn�t have it? But when you have such phenomenal athletes who care about their community, who put on a great product, at the end of the day that�s got to win.�
For more news and notes on the team follow the Minnesota Lynx on Twitter.
WNBA President Donna OrenderOn the WNBA season up to this point: �I think you have to agree with me, it�s been a great, competitive season. Every morning I get to my office, even when I know the scores from the night before, it�s so tight that I check the standings � who�s where, who�s doing what, who�s playing next. I think the competitive offering of the WNBA this year has been extraordinary.�
On the Lynx: �Do you not love this team? This team has such youthful, exuberant energy. They�re a joy to be around. I look at their highlights every day. I check on what they�re doing. I actually read their tweets. I like keeping in touch with this team. It�s a really great, tight group. Very appealing.�
On the league thriving against skepticism from critics: �I�m a competitor. There�s nothing better than moving something forward especially in the face of adversity. It makes it all worthwhile. Because really it�s all about the fans. It�s about the families that come. It�s the moms and the dads and the kids and all the letters that we get saying this means something to us. It might not mean something to everybody, but there�s certainly a large enough contingent here that�s growing all the time that the WNBA has real impact.�
On worrying about losing franchises: �I would say in a business environment that�s constantly challenging. And there�s always the possibility that something can impact the business that�s not about this business but outside this business. I always have to allow for that possibility.�
On concern when the Lynx lost Seimone Augustus: �I would tell you that being a huge Seimone Augustus fan, my first feelings always go out for the athlete because I know what it means for them to compete. The way this team stacked up, the way she was performing early, I�m like now what. But the answer came like that. This team closed ranks, paid their tribute to Seimone and said, �Hey, we�re going to win with her and for her.� And they showed that early on.
�Everybody is proving pretty resilient. And there�s a lot of players waiting on the sidelines to come on in who are in shape and working out. I think there�s a tremendous amount of talent in the WNBA.�
On the impact of technology on growing the league: �What�s interesting about the WNBA, and if you don�t recognize this, it�s important to note, it truly has a national fan base. We have 13 markets but our fans are all over. If you look at our television ratings, a lot of our top television ratings are outside of our WNBA markets. Most of the feedback I get from our fans is we want to see more games. So we wanted to give them what they wanted.
�We launched without a lot of fanfare, without a lot of marketing. In seven weeks time, we served over one million streams. To me that says band strength in terms of fans and interest. That�s where we are. It�s meant a lot. And where they�re coming in from, not only from the United State but they�re coming in globally as well. Again, strong interest in and growing interest in the WNBA.�
On jersey sponsorships: �The marquee partnerships are absolutely working. LifeLock is very happy in Phoenix. Farmer�s Insurance clearly is doing well in L.A. There are teams actually talking with several sponsors. Obviously we would not roll those out until next season and we think they�re an important element of the whole business equation for the WNBA.�
On where she expects to see the WNBA in five years: �My expectations are always great. Isn�t that what we say? I would expect that we will be able to continue to grow. I think we understand our business more and more every day. We understand our strengths and how we need to build on those strengths. To your point, there�s so much avid, passionate core interest in this league that I think can help sustain it. I don�t ever think there won�t be bumps along the way, but what new business doesn�t have it? But when you have such phenomenal athletes who care about their community, who put on a great product, at the end of the day that�s got to win.�
For more news and notes on the team follow the Minnesota Lynx on Twitter.