Guru’s End of the Decade Series: A Rob Knox Love Note to the WNBA

By ROB KNOX (@knoxrob1)

 

This past decade allowed me to live out my dreams of covering the WNBA and telling memorable stories on some of the best players on the planet.

 

I was a fan that was granted an opportunity by Mel Greenberg to use my storytelling talent, relationship skills, and curiosity to help make a significant impact on the growth and visibility of the WNBA. 

Beginning in 2014 with my first interview and feature on Briann January, I was lucky to experience the excitement and witness the explosive growth of the league.

 

It was nice to be recognized by players as a familiar and caring face for the league.

 I got a chance to get to know talented media relation professionals such as Kevin Messenger of the Indiana Fever and Ketsia Colimon of the Washington Mystics. They always went the extra mile to assist me and provide excellent service. 

 

As an aside, I was super excited for Colimon, head coach Mike Thibault and the Mystics on the winning the title this past season. It’s great to see dedicated and hard work rewarded.

 

The WNBA is only getting stronger and in the next decade, I predict that there will be two new expansion teams, more revenue growth and smaller arenas allowing for a more intimate experience like the Mystics enjoyed during their championship run. 

There will be more games on television and enhanced streaming options. Twitter was a perfect first step for the league to help grow its brand and audience.

 

During the last 10 years, the WNBA led the way on a number of fronts, including players using their voices to bring attention to social justice issues. 

It was a treat to see many of the women in the league use their platforms to raise awareness to community concerns and beyond. They staged media blackouts in which they would only discuss issues outside of basketball.

 

To witness women of different ethnicity and backgrounds unite was powerful.

 

The league also made a fantastic decision to have the top eight teams qualify for the playoffs regardless of conference. 

While the league has gone through a transition of leadership during the past decade, I believe it is stable with commissioner Cathy Englehart. She’s phenomenal, passionate and persistent. 

 

I had the opportunity to cover part of the Phoenix Mercury’s awesome 2014 championship season. 

They won 29 regular season games and was probably the best team this decade with Diana Taurasi, DeWanna Bonner, Candice DuPree and Penny Taylor. 

Those games with the Minnesota Lynx in the western finals were fantastic theater. 

 

In winning WNBA championships in 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2017, the Lynx were the only professional franchise to claim four championships. That made them an easy choice for the runaway title of franchise of the decade. They have raised the bar of excellence and head coach Cheryl Reeve has been a terrific ambassador for the league.

 

However, my two of my biggest highlights were spending close to 30 minutes following a practice with Skylar Diggins in Washington, D.C., a week after she appeared on the ESPY Awards for an in-depth profile that was in my opinion, one of my best stories I’ve ever wrote. 

Then being able to participate in a conference call with Becky Hammon after she was hired as a San Antonio Spurs assistant coach, making her the first female to ever serve in that role, was fun considering I was parked in a Dunkin Donuts lot on my way to cover a Mystics game. 

 

Having the chance to speak with Candace Parker and the impact of her daughter on her career was awesome. 

It was a thrill to watch her win her first championship in a memorable fifth game epic on the road at Minnesota in 2017.

 

It took 40 minutes of amazingly breathtaking basketball that featured 24 lead changes, and 11 ties between the Lynx and Sparks for a determined Parker to add the missing piece to her packed portfolio of milestones, accolades, and highlights. 

 

I also covered the Seattle Storm winning the 2018 championship and being inside of a champagne-soaked locker room interviewing Alyssa Clark is a scene I’ll never forget. 

 

My commitment and care for the league allowed me to cover contests at Capital One Arena, Banker’s Life Fieldhouse, Madison Square Garden, Moehegan Sun Arena and UT-Arlington’s College Center to write stories on the likes of Tamika Catchings, Sue Bird, Tina Charles, Bria Hartley, Tayler Hill, Aja Wilson, Swin Cash, Natasha Cloud, Jasmine Thomas and Maya Moore are memories I’ll always cherish. 

They were gracious with their time.

 

After an entertaining 2019  Finals that went the distance for the fourth time in five years, the good news keeps on coming for the WNBA. 

The league received an A+ overall grade in its racial and gender hiring practices in its 2019 Racial and Gender Report Card, an annual report published by the University of Central Florida’s Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport. It also logged scores of A and A+ for its gender and racial hiring decisions, respectively.

Confidence is high that the new collective bargaining agreement will be worked out soon and it will provide everything and more that the players can thrive and continue to compete at the highest level. 

 

In closing, it was a decade to remember. The seeds of future greatness have already been planted. 

 

The decade started with Lauren Jackson winning her third MVP award and it ended with Delle Donne claiming her second MVP honor and first championship.

 Come to think of it, Jackson and Delle Donne are basically clones of each other with their ability to score at every level and change the game. 

 

Of course the more things change, the more they stay the same as Charles was the Rookie of the Year in 2010 and another UConn alumae, Napheesa Collier, was this past season’s Rookie of the Year.

 

I am excited about the next 10 years. I can’t wait until the season begins in 2020. I am looking forward to documenting all of the action, memories and fun. I am thankful that my WNBA hoop dreams became a reality.