WNBA to celebrate Title IX’s 40th anniversary all season long
From the league:
The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and its teams and players will celebrate Title IX’s 40th anniversary throughout the 2012 season.
The league will commemorate the day by unveiling special uniforms designed by adidas to be worn by four WNBA teams on two nationally televised games on ESPN on Saturday, June 23: the Chicago Sky at Minnesota Lynx at 12:30 p.m. ET and the Los Angeles Sparks at Phoenix Mercury at 9 p.m. ET. All uniforms for these games will feature “IX” in the front of the jerseys while player names and uniform numbers will remain the same on the back of the jerseys. In addition, commemorative adidas WNBA Title IX shirts will be available for purchase at WNBAStore.com.
“As the most successful women’s sports league in the world, we truly believe the WNBA is a proof point of the impact of Title IX,” said WNBA President Laurel J. Richie. “The women of the WNBA – and all of the men who enjoy the game or have daughters and sisters who dream of becoming professional athletes – are beneficiaries of this legislation. We are proud to recognize this important anniversary.”
A sampling of Title IX activities is below.
| Atlanta | The Dream will host a special “Women in Sports Night” at its Aug. 22 game. | ||
| Chicago | The Sky will select nine women who have inspired change across Illinois to be part of a Title IX team. Each member will be honored at Sky home games and during a pregame reception and oncourt recognition. In addition, a $40 ticket package will be offered throughout the season, and companies/individuals will have the opportunity to sponsor nine girls to attend a Sky game for $81. | ||
| Connecticut | The Sun will host a Title IX event this summer and will feature special programming throughout the game, including video testimonials from Sun players and coaches and free giveaway items to fans attending the game. | ||
| Indiana | The Fever and the Indiana Humanities will celebrate the 40th anniversary of Title IX, beginning June 1 and continuing through the 2012 WNBA season. Activations will include a speakers’ panel with key women who have helped shape the landscape in a variety of fields. Fever COO and General Manager Kelly Krauskopf and Head Coach Lin Dunn will be featured at the Fever’s Title IX 40th Anniversary Salute event on June 21. | ||
| Los Angeles | The Sparks will host a pre-game reception in honor of the Inspiring Women of the Title IX movement on June 24 and will feature an art exhibit featuring pieces by the late Varnette P. Honeywood, a well-known nationally acclaimed and internationally renowned artist and illustrator. A silent auction will be held for one of her exclusive pieces with all proceeds going towards the Varnette P.Honeywood Foundation. | ||
| Minnesota | The Lynx will partner with the Minneapolis chapter of the Athena Awards, to honor the 2012 Athena Award recipients in May. Throughout the season, the top women’s athletes in the state will be recognized. | ||
| Phoenix | The Mercury are asking fans to submit stories of how Title IX benefited them, a friend or a family member. All who submit a story will receive a free ticket and an invitation to take part in an oncourt celebration at the June 23rd game. | ||
| Seattle | The Storm will celebrate Title IX and the role that sports play in the lives of girls and women with a seasonlong platform, including first-person stories from players, owners, and fans about the impact sports and Title IX. These accounts will be featured on the team website, in games, and via broadcast. A special celebration will be held on Youth Sports Night, when esteemed women sports figures from the past, including Olympians, will be on hand to inspire young girls just starting out in athletics. | ||
| Tulsa | As part of the Shock’s Third Annual Women of Inspiration Night presented by Williams, University of Oklahoma women’s basketball coach Sherri Coale will speak at a pregame reception on June 23 about the significance of Title IX and the future of women’s sports in America. | ||
| Washington | The Mystics will hold a panel discussion on July 1 prior to the game against the Phoenix Mercury. Ann Meyers Drysdale, Basketball Hall of Famer and Natalie Randolph, Head Football Coach at Coolidge High School, are among the speakers scheduled to attend. | ||
