A WH
N BALL GAME is no longer an insult, m millions aspire to. T R E N D S and—in the absence of the years of high-tech training that has transformed male basketball —so was a professional level of play. Then there was the liberty Basketball Association, which sank, blessedly, into retirement after a single exhibition game in 1991. In nipple-revealing unitards so tight the <strong>women</strong> looked shrinkwrapped, they played on shortened courts, with lowered baskets. At this game, which confused players with playgirl cheerleaders, it wasn't just the baskets that were lowered. Whatever this was, it wasn't pro basketball. Since Nixon signed of Title IX of the Civil Rights Act in 1972, which required schools and colleges receiving federal funding to offer equal opportunities to female athletes, the number of girls and <strong>women</strong> participating in sports in this country has increased more than eightfold. Today, there are an estimated 2.5 million girls in high school sports, compared to 294,000 twenty-five years ago, according to the National Federation of High School Associations. As a result there are more <strong>women</strong> prepared for the rigors of professional sports, and an ever-growing number of fans anxious to see <strong>women</strong> competing in their favorite sports—both of which translate into increased respect for female athletes and athletic events. Nowhere has this been so clearly demonstrated as in <strong>women</strong>'s basketball. In 1996, the USA <strong>women</strong>'s Olympic team drew over 30,000 spectators to each of its six consecutive games on their way to capturing the gold medal. That same year, A record 2.85 million households watched the NCAA <strong>women</strong>'s championship on ESPN. These numbers, and the fact that last year some 41 million American females regularly participated in sports and outdoor activities, gave savvy NBA executives a green light to launch the WNBA. The first game of the eight-team league was in June, 1997. And by season's end, in August, auditoriums nationwide were packed to capacity, double the attendance projections. National TV coverage didn't hurt. At their 28 games this summer, over one million fans attended in person, and an additional 50 million tuned in to NBC (which captured mainstream viewers), ESPN (for hard- core sports aficionados), or L<strong>if</strong>etime (which attracts a mainly female audience). It was a stunning beginning. The WNBA's inaugural season, say sports analysts, received the most thorough coverage of any startup league in the history of any sport. Unlike the NBA crowd, which is mostly male, white, and white-collar corporate (who else can afford tickets that begin at $20, and range upward of $1,500 for courtside seats?), the WNBA audience is unprecedentedly diverse in race, age and socio-economic background. And while they are predominantly female, there are also sign<strong>if</strong>icant numbers of men: kids, boyfriends and fathers with their daughters, as weD as those who attend the game out of curiosity or simple addiction to the sport. With ticket prices between $8 and $45 (and courtside seats at $150), the WNBA is one of the most affordable and accessible professional sports around. Revolutionary numbers of <strong>women</strong> are securing their places and season tickets in arenas that have traditionally been bastions of masculinity. Sociologists please note: contrary to studies that find young girls in mixed-gender groups tend toward timidity and shyness, these youthful female fans are yelling the loudest, and strong-arming their way ahead of boys and men for souvenirs, handshakes, and hugs from players. They are dedicated (and determined) in their devotion. One third grade New York Liberty fan was observed battling through the crowd like a small tank. Arriving triumphantly at the front of the souvenir stand, she proudly proclaimed (and probably started a trend) that she'd named her pet hamster after the Liberty's starting center, Rebecca Lobo. Role model responsibility Unlike many professional sports where the male stars and supposed role models are at best often
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