WNBA playoffs question

[ClayK]

Just curious: How many people on this board have watched more than five minutes of the WNBA playoffs?

How many have watched multiple games?

And for those with basketball-playing daughters, how much have the daughters watched?

I'm not looking to criticize anyone, but I'm curious. After all, if people on this board aren't watching the WNBA, who (if anyone) is?

 

[becoolpt55]

I record every game and watch them later

 

[Streak One]

I've watched a handful of games.

I don't know if this is true, but the marketing of the WNBA is poor. In what is a crowded enviroment (sports on TV), I think they could do a better job of making themselves stand out. I would definitely like to hear if that is a reality or if I'm missing something.

 

[Norcal_Fan]

I watched the regular season but mostly because it was automatically being DVR'd on YouTube TV. That said, I'd have to agree with Streak that the WNBA and women's sports for that matter, does a very poor job in regards to marketing its teams. I remember some time ago, when there was a women's soccer league, the east bay had the number 1 player in the world on their roster and they were barely pulling half of Castro Valley High School (and the team was a winner)...and this, in the hotbed of some of the best girls soccer in the nation.

Outside of ESPN, I can't say that I've seen much (social media, yes) advertisement for the WNBA but for the NBA it's all over. Unfortunately, it seems that for the foreseeable future, the ladies will continue to play second fiddle...

 

[CW Golden Eagles]

I've watched a handful of games.

I don't know if this is true, but the marketing of the WNBA is poor. In what is a crowded enviroment (sports on TV), I think they could do a better job of making themselves stand out. I would definitely like to hear if that is a reality or if I'm missing something.

I think you make a good point. I watch because I go online to find out when they are playing. I am bombarded through commercials and social media about when the NFL is on, the NBA playoffs, even the UFC events--I don't have to search for any of those. It's constantly in front of me. But I have to search for the WNBA times, channels and match ups and for the casual fan, that's a failure by the league.

 

[Streak One]

I don't know the budget for the league, but other pro leagues have gone to making 8-10 highlight packages that are really good.

The content outside the league has improved in recent years, but it seems to serve a very niche audience, which is totally fine, but it creates a low ceiling.

Getting back to Clay's point, there is a disconnect between young female players/even some girls basketball coaches who watch the league that isn't there with young male players/coaches who watch the NBA

 

[ankleassassin]

I've watched a handful of games.

I don't know if this is true, but the marketing of the WNBA is poor. In what is a crowded enviroment (sports on TV), I think they could do a better job of making themselves stand out. I would definitely like to hear if that is a reality or if I'm missing something.

This will not go over well but facts are facts. The WNBA is not the NBA or NFL clearly. The Warriors showed you that. When the Warriors got lucky and won a few titles EVERY single person came out of nowhere and claimed to be basketball fans and experts. I mean EVERYONE from Fresno to Oakland to Sacramento all of a sudden have been Warriors fans their whole lives and used to go to games with their dad. Why is that? Because the game is better to watch. No matter the marketing done there just aren't enough of the target audience (women) to make a profit like the NBA or NFL. Yes it is cool to watch it when you have a daughter playing in middle or high school. But after that child graduates and 10 years later how many dads are actually watching WNBA still? Those same dads probably watch football and baseball religiously and for life though. The WNBA barely can survive now without the NBA so spending too much on advertising is not wise business. Supply and demand.

 

[CW Golden Eagles]

I get that. But ESPN doesn't seem to push the WNBA games they are carrying the same level. There are times I didn't even realize a game was on. Not sure if that's on ESPN or the WNBA? But marketing is key and social media is free. Again, not sure about who's fault it is that game times aren't promoted more on ESPN, but they need to alert the fans and also the casual viewer.

 

[ClayK]

ESPN promotes the WNBA games on every NBA broadcast, and the league does what it can do.

But how would you market it more? It costs money to do national TV ads, and that money has to generate more income. Women's basketball fans often complain about marketing, but it's out of their control, to a great extent. Even Major League Baseball struggles -- on one 60-minute SportsCenter, I read, the first mention of MLB was at 57 minutes.

It's a vicious circle, certainly, but the ratings for the WNBA games were so low this summer they often didn't even register on the rating services.

Still, it's good to hear some people are watching -- I just wonder if any girls are.

 

[ankleassassin]

ESPN promotes the WNBA games on every NBA broadcast, and the league does what it can do.

But how would you market it more? It costs money to do national TV ads, and that money has to generate more income. Women's basketball fans often complain about marketing, but it's out of their control, to a great extent. Even Major League Baseball struggles -- on one 60-minute SportsCenter, I read, the first mention of MLB was at 57 minutes.

It's a vicious circle, certainly, but the ratings for the WNBA games were so low this summer they often didn't even register on the rating services.

Still, it's good to hear some people are watching -- I just wonder if any girls are.

The girls watch the warriors. That is for sure.

 

[Smileted5]

My daughter is in 8th grade and loves hoops. Plays...well has skills practices with her team outdoors 3 days week at a pretty solid skill level. Watches WNBA when she can. Always updates the family on scores. Favorite teams Chicago Sky....UConn...in awe of Sabrina, and totally bummed at her injury as she was set to follow every game. But her favorite player is Gabby Williams.

I would say she has more interest than most in her class, but not as into as my boys and I are into the college/NBA. We have gone to a few college and WNBA, but go to lots of high school games. That’s where the interest starts. She can see the group of schools she may play for and against and she can’t wait. Hopefully that feeling stays with her. Parents..get your young ones to the high school games when they start playing again.

 

[WivitBear]

Haven't watched any. Am more of a college watcher. If one of the Cal woen is playing, I'll watch for awhile. But if no one for the college I root for plays then I don't watch.

One of the problems with a few great teams in high school is all the good players go there. So is we have a good player at Albany High, there is a good chance she won't finish at Albany. We get into our viewing habits in high school. If the players don't care about that high school, then why should the students care about them. We don't have many college women who support Cal. Mostly gray hairs.

So if you want to fix viewership, then you have to make more high schools entertaining. People on this site fixate on the players instead of the fans.

 

[kiddman32]

I watched the Liberty every game... For three games. Then Sabrina blew up her knee, and I was out.

I did watch part of a playoff game the other day, saw Sue Bird in that one. Didn't hold my interest, though.

I'll watch next season, when Sabrina is back. A top Liberty teammate opted out this season and should be back next season, and they'll have another very high draft pick to add to the mix. They should be a lot more fun to watch in 2021.

Hopefully, back in a normal environment, with fans and all.

 

[GBBall4L]

If I can't watch them live I have them recorded. I watched NCAAW before my daughter was even born and started watching WNBA a few years back. There is great competition out there and I enjoy the games.

 

[colhenrylives]

You could ask much the same question about other niche sports like women's soccer, volleyball, softball, etc. Most of us have a certain limit to what we watch on TV. There is only so much time. If an event is not compelling, we simply switch to something else. Personally, the only time I really pay attention to women's basketball (post-prep) is at the college level where familiar players and schools compete. The NCAA women's tournament is more compelling than the pros. It might help if there was a pro team in the Bay Area. Actually, it's somewhat surprising that the Warriors, who see themselves as being in the liberal vanguard of social change (for better or worse), have not done a whole lot to establish a women's team under their financial umbrella. Heck, it could play in the team's Santa Cruz venue if need be. The longtime success of Stanford's program has certainly generated a solid core of goodwill through the decades. It's not a stretch to state that the Stanford women outdraw the men much of the time. But I digress.

 

[kiddman32]

I should add that, in addition to having watched almost no WNBA hoops since Sabrina went down, I've only watched a few games of NBA this season, and most of that during the first weekend.

 

[colhenrylives]

Incidentally, there have been several short-lived women's pro hoops leagues that included a Bay Area entrant. All of them failed dismally. None had the firm backing of the NBA or some other deep pockets outfit willing to lose money on a sports-virtue affair. At one point 40 years ago, the legendary Frank LaPorte actually coached the San Francisco Pioneers. That lasted about as long as Zsa Zsa Gabors marriages. In other words, not very long. All of those defunct leagues suffered from a hopeless lack of dollars, attendance, media interest and any relevance whatsoever in the greater U.S. sports universe. You have to admit it's more than a bit telling when zero female millionaires in Silicon Valley display any interest in moving on a Bay Area WNBA franchise. They're too smart. They are not in the business of losing money just to feel good. Wealthy feminism only goes so far.

 

[ClayK]

The issue for a Bay Area franchise is, I think, that Lacob does not want an expansion team, and justifiably so. The league is not deep, this past draft was shaky and 2021 is even worse (volleyball is having a major impact on talent).

Ideally, Atlanta will relocate to the Bay Area, as it seems to be the shakiest franchise, though it's possible another owner can't afford to lose $2 million a year any more and will give the team to the Warriors.

On the main line of this thread, though, it appears that one girl is watching the WNBA playoffs -- and that's the biggest problem facing women's basketball.

 

[becoolpt55]

Watched DRob just destroy the Sun this weekend back in the day I posted the best
PG at Mitty was a girl... all the board roasted me...Crickets....Now

 

[GBBall4L]

Watched DRob just destroy the Sun this weekend back in the day I posted the best
PG at Mitty was a girl... all the board roasted me...Crickets....Now

Lol. DRob is the real deal. I heard she will go back to Mitty and train with the girls sometime.