WNBA Tip Off Historic 20th Season with 20 Youth Basketball Events During Inaugural Jr. WNBA Week
To celebrate the WNBA’s historic 20th season, the WNBA and NBA family hosted 20 youth basketball events during Jr. WNBA Week (May 7-15) leading into the tip-off of the WNBA regular season. The Jr. NBA presented by Under Armour, the league’s youth basketball participation programme for boys and girls ages 6-14, teaches the fundamental skills as well as the core values of the game at the grassroots level in an effort to help grow and improve the youth basketball experience for players, coaches and parents.
Each WNBA team along with the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors, Portland Trail Blazers, and Washington Wizards celebrated Jr. WNBA Week by collectively hosting 20 youth basketball events in their communities. The WNBA also hosted a national Jr. WNBA Week event featuring WNBA President Lisa Borders and former WNBA stars Teresa Edwards and Sue Wicks leading a basketball clinic for 150 girls at Williamsburg Community Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. Details on each team’s events will be available on individual team websites.
“Celebrating youth basketball with Jr. WNBA Week is a fitting way to tip off our historic 20th season,” said Borders. “By teaching youth the fundamentals and values of the game, we can help cultivate the next generation of WNBA fans.”
As part of the NBA and WNBA’s expanded youth basketball efforts launched in October 2015, the leagues established the Jr. NBA Leadership Council to help provide direction on the programme’s development and evolution. The council consists of prominent basketball influencers and stakeholders, including 2015 WNBA MVP Elena Delle Donne, 10-time WNBA All-Star Tamika Catchings, 2014 WNBA Rookie of the Year Chiney Ogwumike, WNBA All-Star Skylar Diggins, Chicago Sky head coach Pokey Chatman, Seattle Storm head coach Jenny Boucek, WNBA legend and ESPN analyst Rebecca Lobo, and WNBA legends Jennifer Azzi, Teresa Edwards and Dawn Staley.
For more information about the Jr. NBA, visit www.JrNBA.com and the Jr. NBA app.