WNBA shows progress amid tough economics

June 6, 2009 at 12:00a.m.

NEW YORK (AP) — Roster sizes have been reduced and teams lost an assistant coach. Also, one of the marquee franchises has folded.

Just don’t tell WNBA president Donna Orender that her league is doomed for extinction in a tough economy.

Orender points to recent increases in attendance, TV ratings, jersey and merchandise sales, and Web traffic as a sign the league, which begins its 13th season this weekend, is healthy.

“I have a great degree of confidence where the WNBA is,” Orender said. “This is a league that is growing.”

NBA commissioner David Stern believes the struggling economy can actually benefit the WNBA because of its affordability.

“Ticket prices are so relatively modest that you have a family of four go see a great entertainment experience at a very modest cost,” Stern said. “But of course, we all know there’s less disposable income out there in a difficult economy. That’s a challenge for every sports league, including the WNBA.”

There’s more good news, economically. A landmark eight-year contract with ESPN/ABC that pays the league rights fees for the first time kicks in this season, and earlier this week, the Phoenix Mercury became the first team to announce a deal to put a sponsor’s name across the front of their jerseys.

As part of an effort to reduce league-wide costs, coaching staffs were cut by one full-time assistant for all teams, and the WNBA draft returned to the NBA Entertainment headquarters in Secaucus, N.J., instead of tying its location to the NCAA women’s Final Four as it did the previous three years.

The most tangible change on the court is rosters being limited to just 11 active players. In recent years, teams were allowed to have up to 13, with two designated as inactive before each game.