WNBA Tips Off 11th Season

May 18 —, 2007 -- The WNBA begins its 11th season this weekend, and even though it has yet to turn a profit, Donna Orender, the president of the WNBA, is very optimistic about its future.

She told ABC News, "The league continues to grow and develop. We are 13 teams strong, and we anticipate growth in that area, our fan base is growing."

Taj McWilliams-Franklin is in her ninth season with the WNBA and was just recently traded by the Connecticut Sun to the Los Angeles Sparks because the L.A. Sparks star player, Lisa Leslie, will sit out this season because she's pregnant with her first child. There are many mothers in the league, including McWilliams-Franklin, and the WNBA tries to support its players in balancing family and career.

"This league is about believing in women and all those that believe in women," said Orender. "They nurture families, they create them. Our job is to figure out ways for them to do that and be able to continue to pursue their dreams."

McWilliams-Franklin feels very lucky to have the support of the WNBA. She had her first child before she entered college and spent her college years juggling school and basketball. She says it's been a lot easier to raise a family now that she's in the WNBA because she has a great support system.

"Being a mother and still being able to do something that I love, it's just amazing. There's no other job in the world that I'd rather have than playing in the WNBA and being a mom, so it's the best of both worlds for me," said McWilliams-Franklin.

The WNBA gave Leslie the opportunity to return after her maternity leave. She will continue to work this year, even though she isn't playing, because she is under contract and will promote, market and make appearances for the WNBA. Even after announcing her pregnancy, Leslie signed a three-year contract extension.

McWilliams-Franklin said, "There's not a lot of professional athletes that might get injured, or have something happen to them, that are allowed to resign and be wanted, so that's part of the great part."

As the WNBA enters its second decade of play, it seems part of its success is keeping its players happy and supporting them in all aspects of their lives.

"We just have a terrific product. We have fantastically entertaining basketball, very compelling athletes who really care about … the game but also care about the community and the fans," said Orender. "I will tell you that the league has been around for 10 years, we're going into our 11th. We're not going anywhere."