2008 gave the WNBA had more mainstream attention than any year in recent memory — but not always for the right reasons.
Candace Parker figured prominently in the WNBA in 2008. On the court, the former Tennessee star became the first rookie in league history to win the MVP Award. The ratings for her first pro game were up 60% from the comparable game a year earlier. She dunked twice during the season, getting the WNBA some rare television highlights in the process, and helped lead Los Angeles back from the worst record in the West to the playoffs.
But Parker got her most attention for one incident in late July. During a game between Parker’s Sparks and the Detroit Shock on July 22, physical play between Parker and Plenette Pierson escalated into Parker wrestling Pierson to the ground. That sparked the biggest brawl in the history of the WNBA. During the melee that ensued, Shock assistant coach Rick Mahorn shoved Lisa Leslie to the ground, and received a punch to the back of the head from Leslie’s teammate, Delisha Milton-Jones.
The fight was talked about throughout the blogosphere — and the mainstream press as well. From ESPN.com to, of all places, The Today Show, people were talking about the WNBA. But while the WNBA finally had America’s attention, it was for a sideshow instead of basketball.
The attention did not last. By the WNBA Finals in October, very few were paying attention as the Shock swept their way to their third WNBA title. Still, the league is hoping at least some will remember the fight next season; the lone WNBA regular season game on ABC in 2009 matches the Shock and Sparks.
While the WNBA brawl was easily the biggest story of the year in terms of national attention, one offseason move that slipped under the radar may have the biggest long-term impact on the league.
During the Olympic break, Houston Comets owner Hilton Koch put the team up for sale. The league was not able to find a buyer for the most successful franchise in its history, and in December, the Comets disbanded.
Though other WNBA teams have folded, the demise of the Comets is particularly notable. The Comets are the only WNBA team to fold after winning a Championship. More importantly, the Comets won the first four titles in league history, and were the face of the WNBA during its formative years. If even the Comets could not survive, what does that say about the rest of the teams in the league?
2008 was a year when the shotlight shined on the WNBA in positive and very negative ways. In 2009, the league may see the light dim somewhat, as it deals with a pair of unlucky thirteens: only thirteen national television appearances, the fewest in league history, and only thirteen teams.
