Legendary basketball player Sue Bird is calling on the media to view and cover the WNBA differently.
Bird recently joined Analis Bailey on USA Today’s Sports Seriously where the future hall-of-famer discussed the state of the WNBA and asked the media to start covering the league’s personalities, not just what happens on the court.
“Everybody knows, LeBron likes tacos on Tuesday, everybody knows the dope kicks LeBron is wearing, cause it gets covered and I think we need to be covered in those same ways,” Bird told USA Today. “I know so much about these athletes, almost by accident…I would love for women in terms of the media coverage, to get that same type of coverage.”
Bird also said the WNBA shouldn’t be compared to the NBA, noting that the sport can be appreciated without the comparison that often leads to negative comments.
“It’s been documented that we don’t get the media coverage,” Bird continued. “We don’t get corporate sponsorship money that other leagues get and I would just challenge people to also look at us as an investment. We are a good investment. We’re a league that is succeeding, that is clearly turning a corner and that’s been with lack of investment, with lack of coverage. So, imagine if we got it?”
The WNBA launched in 1997 and celebrated their 25th anniversary last season. It’s a league that’s been around for a quarter-century and its success has largely been built without much marketing or promotional support.
Earlier this month, ESPN announced plans to launch a fantasy product for the WNBA, an example of finally starting to scratch the surface of the league’s potential. Considering the untapped potential within women’s sports, an established league such as the WNBA should be viewed as a unique investment opportunity.
