Spring Break
The WNBA's new marketing strategy
Sara Gwin
Issue date: 5/12/08 Section: Forum
I saw a story last week that absolutely shocked me.
It left me sad, angered and frustrated with the status of women in this country.
On May 3, the Chicago Tribune's Shannon Ryan reported that the Women's National Basketball Association began to offer rookies lessons in makeup and fashion as another attempt to increase viewership.
It is a sad reality that men can be flat out accepted for their athletic ability whereas women have always been judged by their physical appearance.
There is a history of female athletes marketing their sexuality for popularity: Anna Kournikova, Maria Sharapova, Amanda Beard, Jennie Finch and Danica Patrick. But now we are starting to see the WNBA pander to the interests of men.
Susan Ziegler, a professor of sports psychology at Cleveland State points out, "Once you begin to worry about how the person looks as opposed to how she plays, you've crossed the line into dangerous play … we're not really focused on marketing them as athletes but as feminine objects."
The timing of all of this is quite interesting.
Candace Parker, a versatile forward out of University of Tennessee, was the top pick in the draft. I've been following her career since 2004; when at age 17, she became the first female to win the slam dunk contest at the McDonald's High School All-American game. She beat out five male competitors to win, two of which went on to participate in the National Basketball Association's version with one taking the crown.
She is also the only two-time winner for USA Today's Player of the Year.
In her time at Tennessee, she was the Southeastern Conference Rookie of the Year in 2006, SEC Tournament MVP and was a Kodak All-American - a rare feat for a freshman.
After the season, Parker went on to be the only college player selected for the 2006 USA squad in the International Basketball Federation World Championship. She became the first woman to dunk in a college game and tournament game.
It left me sad, angered and frustrated with the status of women in this country.
On May 3, the Chicago Tribune's Shannon Ryan reported that the Women's National Basketball Association began to offer rookies lessons in makeup and fashion as another attempt to increase viewership.
It is a sad reality that men can be flat out accepted for their athletic ability whereas women have always been judged by their physical appearance.
There is a history of female athletes marketing their sexuality for popularity: Anna Kournikova, Maria Sharapova, Amanda Beard, Jennie Finch and Danica Patrick. But now we are starting to see the WNBA pander to the interests of men.
Susan Ziegler, a professor of sports psychology at Cleveland State points out, "Once you begin to worry about how the person looks as opposed to how she plays, you've crossed the line into dangerous play … we're not really focused on marketing them as athletes but as feminine objects."
The timing of all of this is quite interesting.
Candace Parker, a versatile forward out of University of Tennessee, was the top pick in the draft. I've been following her career since 2004; when at age 17, she became the first female to win the slam dunk contest at the McDonald's High School All-American game. She beat out five male competitors to win, two of which went on to participate in the National Basketball Association's version with one taking the crown.
She is also the only two-time winner for USA Today's Player of the Year.
In her time at Tennessee, she was the Southeastern Conference Rookie of the Year in 2006, SEC Tournament MVP and was a Kodak All-American - a rare feat for a freshman.
After the season, Parker went on to be the only college player selected for the 2006 USA squad in the International Basketball Federation World Championship. She became the first woman to dunk in a college game and tournament game.
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