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Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
WNBA's 'Line ‘Em Up" initiative has league's three-point line installed at outdoor courts around the country
Bethany Donaphin, a former player and now the head of league operations for the WNBA, remembers what it was like to grow up in New York City in the 1990s loving basketball. As a tween she would make it a point during recess to play basketball out on the blacktop. Donaphin was always the only girl playing, something that looking back was a bold choice. It was a decision that took a ton of confidence and a boat load of risk to participate in a situation where she was the only girl. It took a lot of guts for a 12-year-old Donaphin to want to set herself apart, especially at a time when most girls are looking to fit in. Advertisement Donaphin's early memories resonate for many former and current WNBA players. This idea that young girls always had something to prove and were underestimated when they stepped onto an outdoor court in a park or blacktop at school has been the inescapable reality, the status quo. This summer the WNBA is looking to challenge that common experience with the launch of their new nationwide initiative 'Line 'Em Up,' which will paint the official WNBA three-point line on outdoor park basketball courts across the United States. The league will launch this officially in New York on Thursday at the outdoor courts of Brooklyn Bridge Park, and later in July the league will take the campaign to Indianapolis for WNBA All-Star Weekend. 'This is so necessary in order to represent the league in spaces that are iconic,' WNBA Chief Marketing Officer Phil Cook told NBC Sports about the initiative. 'There's not a basketball player in the world who hasn't spent some time dribbling on an outdoor space, and we, [the WNBA] belong in that space. And women, young women, have been going to the park for as long as park basketball has been happening. They just haven't had their representation in that space.' The program has been teased by WNBA players including Atlanta Dream star Allisha Gray, Lynx point guard Courtney Williams, Phoenix Mercury point-forward Alyssa Thomas and Sparks sophomore wing Rickea Jackson in addition to personalities associated with the league including GMA's Robin Roberts and ESPN's Arielle Chambers. Last week on Instagram the teases included photos of a mysterious looking blue background which included a bright orange curved line. Advertisement Last July at WNBA All-Star in Phoenix was when Cook and his team began having conversations about how the WNBA could lay down its legacy in a tangible and more vibrant way. How could the league create something that's representative and 'replicable' but also represents the work the league has done to grow the game of basketball for women, girls and nonbinary people on a larger scale? Over breakfast in Phoenix, Cook and his staff discussed how the league could pursue a project that wouldn't just last during tentpole events including the WNBA Draft, the WNBA All-Star Game, the Commisioner's Cup, the playoffs and WNBA Finals. The league was looking for something permanent. The league enlisted the independent creative marketing company JOAN to come up with a campaign that could represent the ways in which the WNBA has attempted to challenge the status quo, grow the game and encourage empowerment of girls and young people everywhere. Representatives from the marketing agency came back to Cook and his team with the idea to paint a WNBA three-point line on outdoor courts at parks across the country working in conjunction with different cities and parks and recreation departments. Advertisement 'It's a very simple replicable idea that we hope every single outdoor park across the country, and every driveway across the country chalks up their three point line in orange chalk,' Cook said. Beyond New York City and Indianapolis as the first two major places to get these new orange three-point lines, Cook sees a huge opportunity for the league's two upcoming expansion cities in Toronto and Portland to get involved in the campaign. All of the league's current 13 teams including the newest in the Golden State Valkyries have been briefed on the campaign and how they can look to execute painting orange three-point lines in parks within their local communities. As part of the campaign, the league will make a donation to each park that participates in painting an orange three-point line on their courts. To accompany the WNBA's launch of the 'Line 'Em Up' campaign, the league enlisted Korean-Canadian director Iris Kim to create a film that would introduce the program and illustrate the need for orange WNBA three-point lines across the country. The nearly four-minute video includes shots of some of the most famous outdoor parks in the country including Rucker Park in Harlem, Venice Beach in Los Angeles, and two other New York City parks in Dykman and The Cage. Later the film introduces former players Epiphanny Prince, Chamique Holdsclaw and Sue Bird in addition to current Connecticut Sun center Tina Charles, who traveled to New York during Sun training camp to be a part of the film. The four native New Yorkers explain what it was like growing up and playing on outdoor courts and the challenges that came with often being some of only young women. Advertisement 'Growing up in Queens, NY at that time, it was really hard to be a female to get on the court,' Charles said in the film. 'I know I had something to prove. We've all been through it. All the greats, all the ones that you're fans of.' And that includes Holdsclaw who told the story of how she used to hustle all the guys who underestimated her. The film also features two New York community leaders in Sharon Bond and Alex Taylor who have both founded and led organizations that try to encourage participation in basketball for women and girls. Both Bond and Taylor explain that having the new orange three-point line painted on outdoor courts is boon for representation and it sends the message that women and girls are wanted in these spaces. Bird ends the film by stating the mission statement of the entire campaign, which is that the next generation of players won't know a world without a WNBA orange three-point line painted across America. The campaign represents the very fact that the WNBA has become more mainstream and more accessible in the past few years. The league isn't distant and it's much easier now more than ever to understand that the WNBA isn't going anywhere and will be an institution that stands the test of time. Advertisement Donaphin thinks about what it would have been like if she had an orange three-point line to accompany her during those days when she was working hard on her game and often the only girl out there doing it. 'If I had had an orange line while I was going through that process, I think it would have given not just me, but the other kids around me, an understanding that, yeah, what I was doing was completely part of of what any person would do if they if they love something,' Donaphin told NBC Sports. 'And that there was a place for me there.' Check out the new 'Line 'Em Up' website and see if the WNBA's three-point line is coming to a court near you.
NBC Sports
a day ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
WNBA's 'Line ‘Em Up" initiative has league's three-point line installed at outdoor courts around the country
Bethany Donaphin, a former player and now the head of league operations for the WNBA, remembers what it was like to grow up in New York City in the 1990s loving basketball. As a tween she would make it a point during recess to play basketball out on the blacktop. Donaphin was always the only girl playing, something that looking back was a bold choice. It was a decision that took a ton of confidence and a boat load of risk to participate in a situation where she was the only girl. It took a lot of guts for a 12-year-old Donaphin to want to set herself apart, especially at a time when most girls are looking to fit in. Donaphin's early memories resonate for many former and current WNBA players. This idea that young girls always had something to prove and were underestimated when they stepped onto an outdoor court in a park or blacktop at school has been the inescapable reality, the status quo. This summer the WNBA is looking to challenge that common experience with the launch of their new nationwide initiative 'Line 'Em Up,' which will paint the official WNBA three-point line on outdoor park basketball courts across the United States. The league will launch this officially in New York on Thursday at the outdoor courts of Brooklyn Bridge Park, and later in July the league will take the campaign to Indianapolis for WNBA All-Star Weekend. 'This is so necessary in order to represent the league in spaces that are iconic,' WNBA Chief Marketing Officer Phil Cook told NBC Sports about the initiative. 'There's not a basketball player in the world who hasn't spent some time dribbling on an outdoor space, and we, [the WNBA] belong in that space. And women, young women, have been going to the park for as long as park basketball has been happening. They just haven't had their representation in that space.' The program has been teased by WNBA players including Atlanta Dream star Allisha Gray, Lynx point guard Courtney Williams, Phoenix Mercury point-forward Alyssa Thomas and Sparks sophomore wing Rickea Jackson in addition to personalities associated with the league including GMA's Robin Roberts and ESPN's Arielle Chambers. Last week on Instagram the teases included photos of a mysterious looking blue background which included a bright orange curved line. Last July at WNBA All-Star in Phoenix was when Cook and his team began having conversations about how the WNBA could lay down its legacy in a tangible and more vibrant way. How could the league create something that's representative and 'replicable' but also represents the work the league has done to grow the game of basketball for women, girls and nonbinary people on a larger scale? Over breakfast in Phoenix, Cook and his staff discussed how the league could pursue a project that wouldn't just last during tentpole events including the WNBA Draft, the WNBA All-Star Game, the Commisioner's Cup, the playoffs and WNBA Finals. The league was looking for something permanent. The league enlisted the independent creative marketing company JOAN to come up with a campaign that could represent the ways in which the WNBA has attempted to challenge the status quo, grow the game and encourage empowerment of girls and young people everywhere. Representatives from the marketing agency came back to Cook and his team with the idea to paint a WNBA three-point line on outdoor courts at parks across the country working in conjunction with different cities and parks and recreation departments. 'It's a very simple replicable idea that we hope every single outdoor park across the country, and every driveway across the country chalks up their three point line in orange chalk,' Cook said. Beyond New York City and Indianapolis as the first two major places to get these new orange three-point lines, Cook sees a huge opportunity for the league's two upcoming expansion cities in Toronto and Portland to get involved in the campaign. All of the league's current 13 teams including the newest in the Golden State Valkyries have been briefed on the campaign and how they can look to execute painting orange three-point lines in parks within their local communities. As part of the campaign, the league will make a donation to each park that participates in painting an orange three-point line on their courts. To accompany the WNBA's launch of the 'Line 'Em Up' campaign, the league enlisted Korean-Canadian director Iris Kim to create a film that would introduce the program and illustrate the need for orange WNBA three-point lines across the country. The nearly four-minute video includes shots of some of the most famous outdoor parks in the country including Rucker Park in Harlem, Venice Beach in Los Angeles, and two other New York City parks in Dykman and The Cage. Later the film introduces former players Epiphanny Prince, Chamique Holdsclaw and Sue Bird in addition to current Connecticut Sun center Tina Charles, who traveled to New York during Sun training camp to be a part of the film. The four native New Yorkers explain what it was like growing up and playing on outdoor courts and the challenges that came with often being some of only young women. 'Growing up in Queens, NY at that time, it was really hard to be a female to get on the court,' Charles said in the film. 'I know I had something to prove. We've all been through it. All the greats, all the ones that you're fans of.' And that includes Holdsclaw who told the story of how she used to hustle all the guys who underestimated her. The film also features two New York community leaders in Sharon Bond and Alex Taylor who have both founded and led organizations that try to encourage participation in basketball for women and girls. Both Bond and Taylor explain that having the new orange three-point line painted on outdoor courts is boon for representation and it sends the message that women and girls are wanted in these spaces. Bird ends the film by stating the mission statement of the entire campaign, which is that the next generation of players won't know a world without a WNBA orange three-point line painted across America. The campaign represents the very fact that the WNBA has become more mainstream and more accessible in the past few years. The league isn't distant and it's much easier now more than ever to understand that the WNBA isn't going anywhere and will be an institution that stands the test of time. Donaphin thinks about what it would have been like if she had an orange three-point line to accompany her during those days when she was working hard on her game and often the only girl out there doing it. 'If I had had an orange line while I was going through that process, I think it would have given not just me, but the other kids around me, an understanding that, yeah, what I was doing was completely part of of what any person would do if they if they love something,' Donaphin told NBC Sports. 'And that there was a place for me there.'
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Fans Upset Over New Post Featuring Caitlin Clark on Sunday
The return of Caitlin Clark is here. Clark was set to play her first game of the WNBA preseason on Sunday, competing at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The WNBA held a handful of preseason games to start the season at college campuses, including Iowa, where Clark competed for the Hawkeyes for four seasons. Advertisement Before the Fever's matchup against the Brazil National Team, Clark's sponsor Gatorade, posted a message for the Fever guard. "Real home court advantage," posted Gatorade. "Welcome back to Iowa @caitlinclark22." Clark has a plethora of endorsement deals, including Gatorade, Nike and State Farm. After Gatorade shared the post for Clark, with a tag that said, "Home Sweet Home," fans called out Nike. Despite Nike having signed Caitlin Clark, they did not post for her return to Iowa, leaving fans to question their treatment of the Fever star. "@Nike you suck," said one fan. "This is tuff," said another fan. Advertisement "@nike you should feel embarrassed," mentioned one fan. "@Nike this is how you do it," commented one fan. "@Nike learn how to treat a woman who made @WNBA relevant," said one fan. "@nikebasketball," said another fan. Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark (22). Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Clark originally signed with Nike after her four-year career with the Iowa Hawkeyes. At the time, Clark inked an eight-year $28 million deal with Nike, marking an unprecedented deal for women's basketball. Last season with the Indiana Fever, Clark averaged 19.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 8.4 rebounds per game. She established herself as a star early into her WNBA career, being named the Rookie of the Year and a WNBA All-Star during her first season with the Fever. Advertisement Related: Fans Notice Paige Bueckers Being Treated Differently Than Caitlin Clark During WNBA Debut Related: Paige Bueckers Had Words After Blowout Defeat in WNBA Debut
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Steph Curry, Sabrina Ionescu will not hold 3-point contest rematch during NBA All-Star weekend
One of the highlights of last season's NBA All-Star weekend will not return for this year's festivities. The NBA announced on Thursday that Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors and New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu will not have a rematch of their 3-point shootout when the NBA's best gather in San Francisco this weekend. Neither player was interested in replaying the same event again. Instead, they wanted to potentially include another male and female player: Klay Thompson and Caitlin Clark. Clark, however, declined to participate and issued a statement in January through her agency saying she "wants her first 3-point contest to be at WNBA All-Star in Indianapolis this summer." Even after a last-ditch effort by the NBA this week to convince Curry and Ionescu to hold the 1-on-1 rematch, an agreement could not be reached. "We weren't able to land on a plan we thought would raise the bar off of last year's special moment," NBA spokesman Mike Bass said. "We all agreed not to proceed and will instead keep the focus on All-Star Sunday's new format." Curry and Ionescu faced off in Indianapolis last year, with both players shooting from the NBA 3-point line distance of 23 feet, 9 inches. Curry won out by a score of 29-26. STEPHEN CURRY HEATS UP LATE TO WIN STEPHEN vs. SABRINA!Curry: 29 PTSIonescu: 26 PTSWhat. A. Battle. — NBA (@NBA) February 18, 2024 Both players said before last year's event that whoever won, the loser would want a rematch. Ionescu, who will be in attendance this weekend, said last week to USA Today she'd welcome a rematch if asked to participate. "Whether it happens this year or in the future, we both have a lot of basketball left, so we'll definitely get to it at some point," Ionescu said. "It's kind of TBD on that. But I am excited to get to the Bay. Obviously I am from the Bay, so my whole family is very excited to be able to see me and welcome me home." Given that the Warriors are hosting NBA All-Star Weekend this year and Ionescu is from Walnut Creek, Calif., it's a surprise that something could not be worked out to have them among the featured events at Chase Center this weekend.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Steph Curry, Sabrina Ionescu will reportedly not hold 3-point contest rematch during NBA All-Star weekend
One of the highlights of last season's NBA All-Star weekend will reportedly not return for this year's festivities. According to The Athletic, Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors and New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu will not have a rematch of their 3-point shootout when the NBA's best gather in San Francisco this weekend. Neither player was interested in replaying the event again. Instead, they wanted to include another male and female player — Klay Thompson and Caitlin Clark. Clark, however, declined to participate and issued a statement in January through her agency saying she "wants her first 3-point contest to be at WNBA All-Star in Indianapolis this summer." Even after a last-ditch effort by the NBA to convince Curry and Ionescu to hold the 1-on-1 rematch, an agreement could not be reached. Curry and Ionescu faced off in Indianapolis last year with both players shooting from the NBA 3-point line distance of 23 feet, 9 inches. Curry won out by a score of 29-26. STEPHEN CURRY HEATS UP LATE TO WIN STEPHEN vs. SABRINA!Curry: 29 PTSIonescu: 26 PTSWhat. A. Battle. — NBA (@NBA) February 18, 2024 Both players said before last year's event that whoever won, the loser would want a rematch. Ionescu, who will be in attendance this weekend, said last week to USA Today she'd welcome a rematch if asked to participate. "Whether it happens this year or in the future, we both have a lot of basketball left, so we'll definitely get to it at some point," Ionescu said. "It's kind of TBD on that. But I am excited to get to the Bay. Obviously I am from the Bay, so my whole family is very excited to be able to see me and welcome me home." Given that the Warriors are hosting NBA All-Star Weekend this year and Ionescu is from Walnut Creek, Calif., it's a surprise that something could not be worked out to have them among the featured events at Chase Center this weekend.
