by David Chapman
Staff Writer
Donna Orender and the Women’s National Basketball Association share a common trait with the members of the Meninak Club of Jacksonville.
They’re both passionate about what they do.
Orender, president of the WNBA — the most successful women’s sports league in the world — and Jacksonville native, spoke to close to 100 members of the civic organization Monday during its weekly meeting, touching on everything from the league’s social influence and growth to the state of the business in the current economic climate.
Entering its 13th season, Orender’s fifth as president, the WNBA has survived despite the detractors.
“The pundits said, ‘It won’t last,’” said Orender, referring to criticisms when the league began in 1997. “But, we’re doing pretty well and we’re still a young business.”
Television ratings, game attendance and merchandise sales have all grown, something Orender attributes to the affordability and accessibility of the league to families and the athletes themselves.
With an average player salary of around $60,000, Orender said the passion and purity for the sport shines and is a reason people are tuning in more.
“They play for the right reasons,” said Orender. “They do and say the right things ... and they do it with a tremendous amount of pride.”
Sponsorships are down, but that’s currently true of many other professional sports. But there is a revenue stream she believes will improve and help offset some of the lack of sponsorship deals.
“It’s a very, very challenging time,” said Orender. “Ticket sales are going up. People want to get entertainment, they want to get out ... but they want something they can afford. Sponsorship dollars in general are hard to come by ... things (economic conditions) will cycle through.”
Aside from the business aspects of the league, Orender also praised the league and sport itself for its influence on girls and players in general on a multitude of levels.
“This ball represents the state of the human spirit,” she said, holding up one of the league’s basketballs. “It can motivate, make you laugh, cry, it speaks every language, unites families, duels dreams ... it’s a journey that changes lives.”
In her five years as president, Orender said she believes the league has furthered the leadership and social change aspects associated with women and women’s sports. Playing the sport, she said, helps young women develop higher self-esteem, leads to fewer pregnancies, results in higher math and english skills, and develops discipline and trust in teammates among other things.
It was the social ramifications of the sport that impressed Meninak Will Messer, one of the many who attended.
“It was quite inspiring,” said Messer. “The relationship between the health and professional development with the sport and WNBA was very interesting and underscores a need ... it can be a springboard for them (young girls) to achieve more.”
Only one in 27 women played at the time Orender did in college and professionally. More opportunities over the years, through the implementation of Title IX, has resulted in the statistic being one in two now, she said.
Orender moved to Jacksonville to work with what she thought would be a nine-month job with the PGA Tour. It was more than nine-months, though, and 17 years later she still calls Jacksonville Beach her home.
It was while with the Tour that Orender got a phone call from NBA Commissioner David Stern, who had an offer she couldn’t refuse, even with a comfortable position at the PGA Tour.
“There was no reason for me to ever leave,” she admitted, “but I’m an athlete.”
So now she spends her weekdays in New York with the WNBA and her weekends home in Jacksonville Beach with her husband and sons.
Speaking to the Meninak Club was something that interested her for a couple reasons.
“I thought it’d be a great experience and speaking to groups is part of my job,” she said. “Plus, I’d get to stay an extra day (in Jacksonville).”
Other notes from Orender at Meninak:
• On the potential of a WNBA franchise in Jacksonville: “Not yet ... We’ve had discussions with the mayor, but will it eventually happen? I don’t know.” Orender did praise the Veteran’s Memorial Arena, saying it was the perfect size for a WNBA team.
• The performance-enhancing drug scandals that have crept into sports and the media over the past decade isn’t prevalent in the WNBA.
“There is no issue in women’s basketball,” she said. She also advocated the measure of taking a stand against such drugs in sports instead of simply accepting them as a part of the games.
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