WNBA At 25: From “We Got Next” to the Orange Hoodie...and Beyond

ESPN Daily

ESPN

Sports

4.6 • 3.9K Ratings

🗓️ 12 May 2021

⏱️ 27 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The WNBA celebrates its 25th anniversary this season, a historic milestone for a league that many thought would never last. From the league’s beginnings and the rise of stars like Lisa Leslie and Sheryl Swoopes to the modern game and the myriad of social justice initiatives undertaken by the players, the game has changed massively in the past quarter-century, both on and off the court. Rebecca Lobo was there from the beginning. She reflects on growing pains in the league’s early days, and what comes next. Then Pablo hashes Russian president Vladimir Putin’s eight goal "performance" in a hockey exhibition game. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to the Great Western Forum and a festive atmosphere here in Los Angeles.
0:07.5	It is a sellout and then some expecting a crowd of some 12,000 people.
0:12.1	All of them here to witness the latest chapter in the history of women's sports, the debut of the WNBA.
0:20.6	That was the sound of June 21st, 1997,
0:25.7	the very first game of a brand new professional sports league,
0:29.7	the WNBA.
0:31.9	At so many points, including right from the outset,
0:35.7	so many people doubted the league's future, even ridiculing the basic concept.
0:41.3	But this Friday, the WNBA tips off its 25th season.
0:46.3	And today, one of the league's founding players, Rebecca Lobo,
0:51.3	takes us back in time to survey how far women's basketball has come and what its future holds.
0:59.2	I'm Pablo Torre. It's Wednesday, May 12th. This is ESPN Daily, presented by UKG. Our purpose is people.
1:11.2	Rebecca Lobo, thank you so much for joining me. I appreciate it.
1:14.2	Oh, my pleasure. Absolutely.
1:15.9	Rebecca Lobo is a basketball analyst for ESPN. She's also a national champion, a former
1:21.3	WNBA All-Star, and a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame. So the WNBA season begins Friday, Rebecca.
1:29.4	It is the league's 25th season.
1:32.3	And I just want to get your reaction to hearing the number 25.
1:36.7	It has been 25 years.
1:38.7	You're one of the very first players in the league.
1:40.8	What feelings does that evoke for you?
1:43.6	More than anything, pride, you know, I'm so
	...

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