News
Celebrity
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do on the court. They are committed to
making a positive impact on the communi-
ties in which they live and work, and they
do it in very different ways: Tamika Catch-
ings and Swin Cash mentor young girls on
self-esteem through their foundations; Tina
Charles helped build a school in Africa with
her personal donation; Ruth Riley travels
the world to bring attention to global dis-
eases. The list goes on. I am very proud of
all our players as they truly are inspiring
role models for young girls – and young
boys.
KW: How would you like the world to
perceive the WNBA players participating in
the Olympic Games this year?
LJR: On a professional level, these ath-
letes are quite simply 12 of the best female
basketball players in the world. On a per-
sonal level, each one has an interesting and
unique story to tell about her journey to the
Olympics. Over the next two weeks – and
beyond — I would like the world to get to
know them as athletes, citizens of the world
and fabulous women.
KW: What other changes do you envision
implementing during your tenure?
order to build an even more robust group of
sponsors and partners.
KW: What do you hope will be your
WNBA legacy?
LJR: I don’t spend much time thinking
about my legacy; my focus is on the legacy
Girls who participate in sports have a higher self-
esteem and are more likely to graduate from
college
LJR: We will continue to focus on atten-
dance and income, as those are our key
measures of bringing more and more people
to the game and growing our fan base. We
are actively doing outreach to organizations
that appreciate and value the WNBA in
of the league and of the athletes who give
their all on and off the court. We are, and
will continue to be, the destination for the
best women’s basketball players in the
world. Every day we strive to provide our
fans with an exciting and entertaining expe-
rience.
KW: Do you think there is a need to
expand the participation of African-Ameri-
can females in the field of sports media?
LJR: I would love to see more African-
American females engaged in all aspects of
sports. All of the research tells us that par-
ticipation in sports has a very positive
impact in both the short and long term. Girls
who participate in sports have a higher self-
esteem and are more likely to graduate from
college, and 80 percent of female execu-
tives played team sports growing up.
KW: What advice do you have for anyone
who wants to follow in your footsteps?
LJR: Dream big and stay true to yourself
as you pursue your dreams.
KW: Thanks again for the interview, and
best of luck with the WNBA and the
Olympics.
LJR: Thanks.
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Page 8 The Seattle Skanner August 1, 2012
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