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The W.N.B.A. has several other things going for it besides hype. Affordability is one. In Charlotte, a family of four can buy a "Valupak": four tickets, four hot dogs, four sodas and popcorn for $25. Generally, the ticket prices are comparable to those at a major league baseball game. (Even the celebrities who have been patronizing Liberty games in Madison Square Garden--Rosie O'Donnell, Gregory Hines, Rosie Perez--get a break, paying $150 for a courtside seat that costs Spike Lee $1,000 during the Knicks season.) While the concession stands in Charlotte offer an official leather orange-and-white W.N.B.A. ball for a hefty $99, they also have a rubber one for $25.
Another attraction is the competition itself. Purists such as ucla's legendary coach John Wooden think women's basketball is more watchable than men's basketball. It's certainly more structured and team-oriented than the helter-skelter N.B.A. game, and that aesthetic has helped the W.N.B.A. attract older fans who miss the traditional pace of basketball. At first look, W.N.B.A. play was somewhat sloppy, but in the past few weeks it has tightened up. Last week in Charlotte, the 7,266 fans were treated to a thrilling game won by the Liberty, 65-63, on two free throws by Rebecca Lobo in the last seconds. Lobo may be the biggest star in the W.N.B.A., but she's not the only one. In Phoenix, there's Australian Michele Timms, the guard known as Tank Girl for her spiked blond hair and aggressive play. And there's Lisa Leslie, the Wilhelmina model who plays center for the Sparks. And Sheryl Swoopes, who's expected to join the Houston Comets soon, now that she has given birth to a boy named Jordan after youknowwho.
But there's another quality that the W.N.B.A. has and the N.B.A. hasn't: accessibility. After the loss to New York, Sting star Vicky Bullett signed everything put in front of her and then asked, "Have I missed anyone?" The women, grateful for a league of their own even if the N.B.A. runs it, sign autographs early, often and late. Indeed, the give-and-take between players and fans is positively refreshing. The other night in Madison Square Garden, the Liberty held a fan-appreciation night that an usher named Pete certainly appreciated. "At one point," recalled Pete, "a girl told Teresa Weatherspoon that she was her hero, and Teresa went up into the stands to give her a hug. Somehow, I don't envision Patrick Ewing doing that."
Ackerman's favorite moment of the W.N.B.A. season was caught on television during a Liberty game. Rhonda Blades, a guard for New York, was kneeling next to the scorer's table, waiting to get into the fray, when she noticed two little girls sitting courtside. "Just before Rhonda went into the game," Ackerman recalls, "she gave one of the girls a high-five. Then the girl showed her hand to her friend, as if she had been given this wonderful present. And I guess she had."
She got next.
--Reported by Sally B. Donnelly/Charlotte and Lawrence Mondi/New York