WHEN CANDACE PARKER took the floor during pre-game introductions on May 3, the crowd cheered in a way familiar to Parker from her college basketball career as a Lady Vol.
Trouble is, she was in Philips Arena as a member of the Los Angeles Sparks, in town to play the Atlanta Dream. The preseason game marked the first time the Dream took the floor as the WNBA’s newest franchise. The Drean opens the regular season at home on May 23.
Though the cheers for Parker, who just weeks ago led her Tennessee team to its second consecutive NCAA national championship, were louder than anything heard for the Dream on Saturday, they were nonetheless encouraging for team officials. Announced attendance was 7,932, an impressive tally given the team wasn’t created until October and didn’t fill out its roster until last month.
So fans, even if dressed in Lady Vol orange and cheering for Parker, hint at the potential base of support for the Dream in metro Atlanta.
BETH SCHAPIRO, A women’s basketball fan who regularly attends the woman’s Final Four, was impressed with what she saw at the Dream game, even with the home team losing 86-80.
“For a group that had never played a game together, they looked pretty decent,” said Schapiro, a season ticket holder who attended the game with her partner. “There was a lot of hustle and smart playing. They hold a lot of promise. It was an exciting night.”
With Knoxville just a few hours away and Atlanta sitting in the heart of SEC basketball territory, it’s no surprise that Parker enjoys a fan base here. She’s one of four former Lady Vols on the Sparks roster, compared to two for the Dream. Fans get one more chance to see her on May 25 when the Sparks come to Philips for a regular season game.
“I think Candace Parker has drawn half the crowd here tonight,” joked Gail Gibson, a college and professional basketball fan who purchased season tickets that put her immediately behind the Dream bench.
Cyndi Cornelius, sitting next to Gibson, said the pair jumped on the tickets as soon as they heard the WNBA was coming to town. Both women proudly admit to being big Lady Vol fans.
“The first time we heard, it was almost an immediate thing,” Cornelius said. “It’s about supporting women’s sports in general.”
Tina Kinser said when the Charlotte Sting played in the WNBA, one of the league’s eight inaugural teams in 1997 before folding after the 2006 season, she would make the drive to North Carolina to see them play. Excited to see a team come to Atlanta, she bought four season tickets.
“Friends were interested, but wouldn’t buy season tickets, so I bought them for them,” Kinser said. “It’s a lot more fun than going to the men’s games.”
WHEN THE ATLANTA Glory of the women’s American Basketball League played for two years in the late 1990s, Kinser held season tickets. This time around, she’s impressed with how the Dream is taking care of fans.
“They are already doing this first class apart from the ABL. They are making sure we understand how important we are as a season ticket holder,” Kinser said.
In addition to purchasing season tickets, Schapiro is also a member of Club 13, the team’s all-volunteer sales force. She’s peppered friends and colleagues with email sales pitches and information about the team to build support and uses two of her season tickets to entice friends to attend home games.
“It’s an expansion team and it’s the first time they are playing together. They are pretty good under the circumstances and show a lot of potential,” she said.
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