WASHINGTON 鈥� The Washington Mystics鈥� 2018 season opened Sunday at Capital One Arena in front of 7,400 enthusiastic fans, who cheered the home side to a near wire-to-wire, 82-75 victory over the Indiana Fever. While that attendance number is often an afterthought, a new leaguewide initiative by the WNBA means that in their home opener alone, the Mystics raised $37,000 for women and girls empowerment programs.
For every ticket sold to every game in the league this season, the WNBA will donate a free ticket to a young woman as well as $5 to one of six charitable partners the league has partnered with: Bright Pink, MENTOR, GLSEN, The United State of Women, It鈥檚 on Us, and Planned Parenthood. Through the Take a Seat, Take a Stand program, fans can choose which organization they鈥檇 like their money to go to.
It鈥檚 a substantial and impressive commitment from a league that has positioned itself as perhaps the most forward-thinking professional sports league in America. Considering the WNBA drew 1.57 million fans last year, there is potential for real change through their investments.
鈥淚t鈥檚 amazing, and I鈥檓 so proud to be a part of a league that takes a stance and isn鈥檛 afraid to make a statement,鈥� said Elena Delle Donne, Mystics forward and one of the faces of the WNBA. 鈥淚 think, as a league, we鈥檝e always pushed equality and we鈥檝e been a little bit ahead of the game. And now we鈥檙e truly continuing to push it forward and not be afraid to take a stance.鈥�
Players often drive initiatives in the league in a way you don鈥檛 see in other professional leagues. When league president Lisa Borders presented the music for their Watch Me Work initiative, Dallas Wings guard Skylar Diggins-Smith vetoed it. When Borders challenged Diggins-Smith to come up with something better, she delivered the music the league ended up using. Similarly, the idea to live stream games on Twitter came from Seattle Storm guard Jewell Lloyd. The league is currently in the second of a three-year deal to live stream 20 games per season on the social media platform.
鈥淲omen who are playing it should have insight into what makes it tick, what makes it fun, what makes it exciting,鈥� Borders told Bram Weinstein on a .
Delle Donne said this idea was all Borders, though. As the initiative was only rolled out a few days ago, Mystics GM and Head Coach Mike Thibault told 草莓传媒 that he hasn鈥檛 really had a chance to chat about what it means yet with his team. But the response was overwhelmingly positive in the Mystics’ locker room Sunday.
鈥淭his league has always done a good job of allowing us to use our platform,鈥� said veteran point guard Kristi Toliver, who led Washington with 16 points. 鈥淎nd so, I think we stand up for the right things, and for all people. I鈥檓 always going to be 100 percent behind that.鈥�
The University of Maryland product, now in her 10th聽year in the WNBA, sees the chance for others to look at what her league is doing and potentially bring about change on an even larger level.
鈥淚 think we鈥檝e kind of been the trailblazers in a lot of different ways,鈥� she said. 鈥淔or MLB, or NBA, or NFL, I think there are ways that they can follow us that would make a huge difference because they already have such a great following.鈥�
