Eight Teams In The Wnba's First Season example essay topic

Purpose: To explain the history of the WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association). Thesis: Women's basketball has come a long way from its humble beginnings in 1892. Women began playing basketball less than a year after the game was invented. I. INTRODUCTION A. In the early days dresses were worn on the basketball court, that lead to a few broken bones and black eyes, because of women tripping over their hems. B. In 1918 Senda Berenson adapted the rules for basketball to make it easier for women to play. She divided the court into three sections, and required players to stay in their assigned areas. C. In 1972 Title XI was signed stating that no person in the US shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving Federal assistance. Transition: Let me start by explaining the start of the WNBA.

II. BODY A. On April 29, 1996, the National Basketball Association Board of Governors approved the concept of a women's professional basketball league, the WNBA. 1. This was a great moment in history, because a proliferation of interest in women's basketball had spurred the development of several other professional leagues.

2. However, because of timing or lack of money, none of these leagues lasted longer than three seasons. Transition: Then with the backing of the NBA and the success of the US women's dream team at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, the WNBA had a fair chance at survival. B. The league also gave the WNBA an interesting twist when it decided that the WNBA season would be played during the summer. 1.

By playing in the summer, the WNBA avoided direct confrontation with its NBA parent. 2. That allowed the league to play in the same large arenas used by NBA teams. 3. There were eight teams in the WNBA's first season: Charlotte Sting, Cleveland Rockers, Houston Comets and New York Liberty in the Eastern Conference and the Los Angeles Sparks, Phoenix Mercury, Sacramento Monarchs and Utah Starz z in the Western Conference. Transition: Next I will explain the rules, team names, and salaries in women's basketball. C. The WNBA game consists of a 30-second clock, a 19-foot, 9-ince three-point line, two twenty minute halves, eleven-player rosters and a collegiate-regulation size ball.

1. The team names were selected by the league based on a tie to the NBA team name, and a link to a key characteristic of each city or state. 2. The salary in the WNBA ranges from 85,000-35,000.3. A core player's salary would be 85,000, a veteran player would receive 45,000, and a rookie would make 35,000. Transition: By now you can see that women's basketball has come a long way, and still has a way to go..

Conclusion A. Before the 2003 season, the league dropped its requirement that teams had to be played in NBA cities under the auspices of an NBA team. B. The Orlando, Miami, Portland, and Utah NBA franchises then dropped ownership of their WNBA teams. C. The Portland and Miami franchises folded, bringing the WNBA down to 14 teams for the season.