Today’s NetWorks Sports Future Leader is Patrick Henry

By Angela Taylor

After spending the last 48 hours in San Antonio in anticipation of Saturday afternoon’s WNBA All-Star Game, which promises to be a wonderful celebration of 15 Tremendous years of the WNBA, many have asked me to share my Top 15 WNBA Players of All-Time.

Tomorrow at half-time the WNBA will recognize the 15 individuals who fans voted from a pool of 30 candidates.  While there are some very obvious choices, many have found it very difficult to identify their list of 15 simply because there truly are so many different individuals who have played a huge role in the league’s success over the last 1.5 decades.

A few of these individuals were left off the list, but that does not (and will not) diminish the impact that they have had on the league, its fans, its staff, and the young women who are the future of the game.  There are names like Andrea Stinson (aka Lady Jordan) who thrilled fans in Charlotte for years and on numerous occasions had fans in the Mecca of Basketball, Madison Square Garden, on their feet as she went coast to coast between defenders and finished with highlight reel flare.  Others who could easily have been placed on the list are Michelle Timms, Vickie Johnson, Michelle Edwards, Jennifer Gillom, Eva Nemcova, etc.

For your reference, here is the press release with the list of the 30 players nominated for this recognition.

But let’s not dwell on who wasn’t on the list and instead celebrate these 15 players who have been pioneers for the league and who have represented the league with such class and grace both on & off the court.  While the list won’t be revealed until tomorrow, I would like to share those who I feel should be on the list.  Four experts from ESPN shared their lists as well in this article.

Here’s my list of 15 in no particular order (but I took the liberty of listed a couple of additional honorable mentions):

• Cynthia Cooper
• Lisa Leslie
• Sheryl Swoopes
• Tina Thompson
• Tamika Catchings
• Diana Taurasi
• Sue Bird
• Dawn Staley
• Nykesha Sales
• Lauren Jackson
• Yolanda Griffith
• Katie Smith
• Deanna Nolan
• Ticha Penicheiro
• Becky Hammon
• Others:  Teresa Weatherspoon, Candace Parker, Chamique Holdsclaw, Swin Cash, Delisha Milton-Jones, Tangela Smith, Penny Taylor, Cappie Pondexter…

Whoever the 15 players are when they are unveiled on Saturday are very deserving of this honor.  It has been a pleasure for all of us to be a part of this journey we call the WNBA.  The best part of the league is its players. These very dynamic women who are so much more than just how many points they score or games they help their teams win.

The debate will rage on & new players will step up and challenge for the right to be considered the best that has ever played the game.  Names may fall off the list as new names are added, but the impact that EVERY player who has donned a WNBA uniform has had on people around the globe will never be forgotten.  The future is very bright for the WNBA thanks to those who have blazed the trails.

Tune in on Saturday to find out who will have the honor of being recognized as the Top 15 WNBA Players of All-Time!  Also stay tuned for some of my favorite moments from the 15 seasons of the WNBA

By Tracey Savell Reavis

Renee Brown announces players selected in the 2011 WNBA Draft in April (Photo by Jennifer Pottheiser)

The calendar indicates that the WNBA season officially spans approximately 4 months. The work, however, especially for Reneé Brown, Chief of Basketball Operations and Player Relations for the league, is in reality more of a 12-month, all-inclusive, lifestyle. So it helps that Reneé, a Henderson, Nevada native, a former UNLV player, an ex-college basketball coach, and a former US Olympic team assistant coach, loves her job.

As Chief of Basketball Operations and Player Relations, Reneé directs scouting for all players and manages personnel policies and programs.  She joined the WNBA in September 1996, right after winning a Gold Medal at the Centennial Olympic Games as an assistant coach of the US Women’s Basketball team.

We caught up with Reneé, during a late lunch hour, from her New York office, talking everything WNBA, dishing success tips for women looking to get into the sports industry and letting on that’s she’s a really big fan of a certain ‘Funny Girl.’

The league has just announced a new president, Laurel Richie, and is about to tip off Season 15.  What can you tell us about the expectations for this season?
I think things will go well. Val [Ackerman] and Donna [Orender] worked hard so that we are going in the right direction. With Laurel, I think we have a chance to take things to another level. The game is in good shape. We have great players, who are fine citizens. The games are full of versatility, precision and great execution. We are 15 years young and I think we’ll do great.

WNBA.com recently ran a piece when the writer listed 15 things he was looking forward to in the WNBA this year. How would you finish this sentence: The thing I’m looking forward to in the WNBA’s 15^th season is ___________.
The competition. There’s not a team out there that can take a night off. Everyone has to come ready to play. There’s a lot of parity in the league and the competition is going to be great.

What are you most proud of in your role at the league?
Probably that if any of our players has an issue, that they know they can call me, and I will help them to the best of my ability. That I have a good, working relationship with the players.

What challenges do you face in your work?
I can’t think of any challenges. When you have a passion for what you do, you wake up every day, ready to go. I’m grateful to be able to do this. The WNBA has given me an opportunity of a lifetime and I’m fortunate to be a part of it.

When you look back over the past 15 seasons, what stands out as your most cherished moment?
Oh, wow, there are so many. I’d have to say, the Opening Tip-Off. The very first game, it was the Liberty vs. the Sparks. I just remember looking at Val [Ackerman] and we both were like we couldn’t believe, after all the work, it was finally happening. And we cried. I’ll never forget it.

It’s no surprise there are not many African American women in decision-making positions within the sports industry. Do you see that improving?
I think it’s getting better. I think women of color have to raise their hands and say, this is what I want to do, then go after it. If you’ve got the knowledge, put yourself out there. Gone are the days where you wait for someone to notice your talents. You have to step up and make it happen.

Your career has been mostly teaching and leadership roles. Has there been the secret to your success, examples that you could pass on?
It starts with confidence. You have to have confidence in yourself, know what you want and be willing to do the hard work to get it. Dawn Staley used to say, you have to do the things you don’t want to do to get to where you want to be.

I believe it’s important to have mentors. I stand on a lot of people’s shoulders. Find a mentor who is willing to tell you the truth, and who’s willing to help you as you develop.

And in my career, I learned something at every step along the way. It is important when you enter any field to learn as much as you can. Learn the business side. Open yourself up to learning about every area. Learn as much as you can. Be hungry.

Are you comfortable being labeled a role model?
It is the ultimate compliment. I embrace being a teacher. I take it very seriously. I believe each one should teach one, and that it is my responsibility to give back.

What do you think will be the legacy of the WNBA?
That young girls can have their dream of playing professional basketball, with elite players, here in their own home. Before young girls would say, ‘I want to be like Mike, or Magic, or Larry.’ And they were forced to play overseas.

Now they can say, ‘I want to be like Diana Taurasi’ Now they have the same opportunity as the men. They have female role models. Knowing that they’ve been watching since they were 5, or 6, or 7, and that they can have their dreams come true, to play the game they love, at home, in front of their family and friends, just makes me so happy. It warms my heart.

Get to Know Reneé

In her music library: Barbra Streisand; Gospel tunes

On her nightstand: The poetry of Maya Angelou

In her Netflix queue: Black and White classics – especially films starring Katharine Hepburn or Dorothy Dandridge

Her top travel destination: Anywhere in Italy

Workout: The elliptical machine

Favorite Quote: Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding

Find out more about the WNBA at www.wnba.com

Melanie Murphy - Stanford Women's Basketball

Today’s NetWorks Rising Star is Melanie Murphy