WNBA Names New Senior Director of Communications

NEW YORK, April 5 � WNBA President Val Ackerman announced today that Sharon Robustelli has been named as the league�s Senior Director of WNBA Communications. Effective immediately, Robustelli will oversee all public relations activities for the WNBA, reporting to WNBA Chief Operating Officer Ann Sarnoff.

Robustelli, who was most recently Vice President at Marina Maher Communications Inc., brings 14 years experience in the fields of consumer marketing, corporate branding, entertainment public relations and special events to her position with the WNBA.

�Sharon has a wealth of experience in communications strategy development for major global brands, particularly those reaching women,� Ackerman said. �As the WNBA continues to evolve and grow, we are increasingly speaking to new audiences, and a communicator with Sharon�s proven track record is an enormously valuable addition to the league.�

While at Marina Maher Communications Inc., Robustelli led strategic public relations programs for blue-chip clients, including Proctor & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson and BBC Worldwide. Previously, she was Senior Account Supervisor at GCI Group, Inc., where her responsibilities included managing and executing the communications plans for the New York State Lottery, JP Morgan Chase Inc. and Aetna.

Prior to joining GCI Group, Inc., Robustelli spent seven years working in entertainment publicity for high-profile clients including Dolly Parton, Whoopie Goldberg, Gregory Peck and Mick Fleetwood. She also executed entertainment events such as The Grammy Awards and The MTV Music Awards in the early 1990s.

Robustelli graduated with a B.A. in Communications/Public Relations from Mansfield University of Pennsylvania.

�I�m thrilled to be joining the WNBA, the world�s premier women�s sports league, at such an exciting time in its history, with the eighth season starting and the 2004 Summer Olympic Games on the horizon,� Robustelli said. �I look forward to applying my marketing communications and branding expertise to help continue the growth of the WNBA.�

The WNBA�s 2004 regular season begins with 12 games over four days on Opening Weekend, May 20-23, including ABC�s season-opening broadcast on May 22 as the Connecticut Sun host the Phoenix Mercury at 4 p.m. ET. The 2004 WNBA Draft, featuring the deepest college draft class in WNBA history, is scheduled for April 17 at 12:00 p.m. ET. The first round of the Draft is being broadcast by ESPN for the first time ever, while NBA TV, WNBA.com and ESPN.com will cover all three rounds.