In his 30-year tenure as the NBA Commissioner, the NBA remained synonymous with David Stern’s name, yet his influence goes far beyond men’s sports. Stern presided over some of the NBA’s most revolutionary moments as its former commissioner. Best known for the controversy surrounding his denial of the Kobe Bryant-Chris Paul union in LA, he has however made substantial and frequently underappreciated contributions to women’s basketball.

A women’s basketball Hall of Famer recently discussed Stern’s crucial contribution to the creation of the WNBA in an interview.

A Hall of famer sheds light on David Stern’s contribution to the WNBA

Women’s leagues in sports have coexisted with men’s for quite some time now. With equality in mind, many franchises create parallel women’s teams for their respective sports. The Soccer Women’s league in Spain was established in 1988, while in England, the Women’s Super League was rolled on for the first time in 2011.

Despite having only 12 teams in the basketball competition, the WNBA has reached significant heights since its inception in 1996. Ticha Penicheiro, a former WNBA player and Hall of Famer, recently appeared on the podcast, Knuckleheads where she shared insights into the formation of the WNBA. When asked about her initial thoughts on the league, Penicheiro revealed, “I wondered if I could play in it and if I was good enough.”

Penicheiro continued, “I knew other leagues had tried to make it in the States but couldn’t sustain. This one had the NBA behind it.” She then praised Stern’s crucial contribution to the creation of the WNBA and stated, “He’s one of the biggest reasons why the WNBA is here.”

Stern never wavered in his promise of women’s basketball, and as a result, the league flourished, giving innumerable female athletes like A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart and others the chance to follow their aspirations in professional sports.

While sharing her thoughts on her decision to choose between the ABL and the WNBA at the time, Penicheiro added, “I went up to New York, I go into the offices, I meet David Stern. I’m with my agent and he just comes in and I’m like, ‘Damn,’ and then he leaves. So, yeah, that was his baby and I mean it’s basically the main reason why the WNBA is here because he put a lot of effort into it. And he believed in us.”

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While Stern saw some of the greatest NBA draft classes in NBA history, his unwavering support and commitment to women’s basketball played a crucial role in ensuring the WNBA’s success. However, while Stern’s contributions to women’s basketball are undeniable, his legacy also includes a controversial decision that shook the NBA.

The Kobe Bryant-Chris Paul veto, a controversial call by David Stern

In 2011, Stern intervened to veto the proposed trade sending Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers, a move that reverberated through the league. The trade, which would have created an All-NBA backcourt pairing of Paul and Kobe Bryant, was on the cusp of realization. However, Stern’s decision to cancel the deal left fans and players alike in disbelief.

Analyst Adrian Wojnarowski’s breaking news about the near-deal set the basketball world abuzz. Less than four hours after his initial report, Wojnarowski delivered the shocking update: the trade was off. Despite this controversial call, the WNBA Hall of Famer’s first-hand experience of seeing the WNBA come into existence with Stern’s support shows his positive influence beyond men’s basketball.

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