And the newest sex symbol in the world of female athletes is none other than race car driver Danica Patrick, the first woman to win an IndyCar event. She made a name for herself posing in FHM in a red bustier atop a yellow Mustang.
The WNBA understands that the only way to build a market is to attract young men to the games. The female fan is simply not making the impact they had hoped. The obvious answer is to “sex up” the ladies.
The newest young star for the WNBA is Candace Parker. She is the total package, looks, talent and charisma. Looks being at the top of the list it seems.
The league hopes that she will be the answer to the WNBA’s image woes.
The hope is that the single guys who watch the NBA will begin to notice the cute player on the Sparks team and start watching the WNBA.
The Sparks sold seven times the number of season tickets in the first week after the draft as they did last season, and individual game ticket sales are up 272 percent.
Parker’s rookie salary (around $44,000) will be a fraction of what she will make from endorsing Adidas and Gatorade.
Marj Snyder, chief of programming and planning for the Women’s Sports Foundation, says the paucity of media coverage given women athletes results in misplaced priorities.
“The problem is if only 8 percent of the coverage is on women, and the vast majority of the time we’re talking about who they’re married to, what clothing they’re wearing, what kind of parents they are, there’s not much room left to say, ‘What a great athlete,’ “ Snyder said.
Gives a whole new meaning to putting your game face on doesn’t it?
By Ivette Ricco
