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— New Empowerment Program Enables Fans to Support Bright Pink, GLSEN, Its On Us, MENTOR, and The United State of Women with Their Tickets

— WNBA to Donate $5 to Each Fan’s Chosen Organization Along with a Ticket for a Young Woman or Girl

NEW YORK — The WNBA today launched “Take a Seat, Take a Stand,” its new women and girls empowerment program for the 2018 season. When regular-season games begin tomorrow, May 18, WNBA tickets will do more than support women’s sports — when fans take a seat at a WNBA game, they will also have the chance to support several organizations that are changing the game for women and girls.

For each ticket purchased, the WNBA will donate $5 to one of six organizations of the fans’ choosing in addition to a ticket to send a young woman or girl to a game to inspire her by the strength, talent and leadership of the women of the WNBA. Fans can also choose to donate tickets directly to one of the organizations. Tickets are available now at WNBA.com/takeastand.

“For 22 years, the WNBA and its players — women playing at the highest level of their sport — have stood up as role models for millions of women and girls,” said WNBA President Lisa Borders. “With ‘Take a Seat, Take a Stand,’ we are proud to come together as a league to stand with our partner organizations, our fans and the many inspiring women raising their voices for change in the current women’s movement.”

The national partner organizations for “Take a Seat, Take a Stand,” selected for their advocacy on behalf of girls and women, are:

• Bright Pink, a national nonprofit focused on the prevention and early detection of breast and ovarian cancer in young women.
• GLSEN, a national network of students, educators, parents and community leaders working to create safe and inclusive schools for LGBTQ students.
• It’s On Us, a cultural movement aimed at fundamentally shifting the way we think about sexual assault.
• MENTOR, the unifying champion for quality youth mentoring in the United States.
• The United State of Women, a national organization for any woman who sees that we need a different America for all women to survive and thrive — and wants to work collectively to achieve it.

In addition to these organizations, fans will have the choice to support local organizations in all 12 teams’ communities, which will vary by city.

“Bright Pink is proud to be part of such an important new initiative with the WNBA to empower women and girls to be voices for change,” said Katie Thiede, CEO of Bright Pink. “The WNBA has been an incredible partner to our organization by helping thousands of women know their risk for breast and ovarian cancer and be their own best health advocates. This program demonstrates the WNBA’s strong commitment to women’s causes and is a shining example of everything the league represents to our communities. We’re thrilled to be involved.”

“We’re excited to continue our partnership with the WNBA as part of this fan engagement campaign,” said Eliza Byard, Executive Director, GLSEN. “The league and its players have made such a difference for so many women and girls, and especially for young LGBT athletes who often feel unwelcome in the world of sports. Thanks to the league and its fans, GLSEN will be able to open so many more doors of opportunity to LGBT students in school, on the court, and beyond.”

“It’s On Us is excited to join forces with the WNBA’s ‘Take A Seat Take A Stand’ campaign to inspire and empower women and girls,” said Tina Tchen, Partner, Buckley Sandler LLP & Co-Founder of It’s On Us. “For decades, the WNBA and its players have been strong advocates for gender equality, LGBTQ rights, and youth empowerment and we are excited to partner with the WNBA family to collectively take a stand against sexual assault.”

“We are so grateful for the NBA family’s consistent support and partnership to elevate mentoring,” said David Shapiro, CEO of MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership. “Teaming up with the WNBA in our shared mission to bring people together, build relationships, and prioritize equity is such a natural match. Young people seeing extraordinary women competing and leading at the highest level expands the narrative about what is possible in their own lives and in our culture.”

“The United State of Women is thrilled to partner with the WNBA to support young women and girls across the country,” said Jordan Brooks, Managing Director, United State of Women. “The WNBA is home to so many inspiring women who wow us with their skills on the court and serve as role models in the community. We couldn’t be more excited to be a part of this effort and look forward working together to inspire and elevate women and girls around the country.”

Take a seat, take a stand at WNBA.com/takeastand and join the conversation using #WNBATakesAStand on social media. For the latest updates on “Take a Seat, Take a Stand,” follow the WNBA on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat (WNBA).

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