WNBA Oakland Press Coverage
SF Chronicle
Oakland’s WNBA bid led by former WNBA star to front bloc of powerful women
“I think the impact of just seeing positive and accomplished people of color in ownership is super-impactful for players across all sports, and it’s inspiring in communities of color,” Beard said of her role. “That’s the one thing that drives me and motivates me. This is a blueprint; this is what we want to build so that the next generation can see us as leaders and aspire to be more than what we are.” — Alana Beard
Beyond The W
The case for Oakland to get WNBA’s nod over San Francisco
“Oakland and Alameda County is arguably the hub of Black culture on the west coast – even though south LA may have something to say about that. Oakland – similar to the rest of the Bay Area – also has a huge LGBTQIA community – a populace that has embraced the W virtually since its founding….A WNBA team to revitalize the sports scene in Oakland and Alameda County sounds like a hella good idea to us.”
Oaklandside
Could a local WNBA team be in the cards?
“Last summer, an ownership group led by retired basketball star Alana Beard announced its intention to bring a WNBA team to Oakland, with the Oakland Arena targeted as a possible home. Oakland Vice Mayor Rebecca Kaplan has for years advocated bringing a team to a city, especially given the recent loss of the Oakland Raiders and Golden State Warriors.”
“A WNBA team would be awesome,” said Athenian School of Danville graduate Paige Thompson. “The Bay Area is so diverse; I think people would rally around it.”"
Yahoo!Sports
How Oakland has prepared for WNBA Expansion
“This is the right time to bring the WNBA team to Oakland when there’s so much growing enthusiasm and love of women’s basketball,” longtime resident and basketball fan Joan Lohman remembered thinking. “And we’re seeing all the stars on the screen. We’d like to see them live in our community.”
“From the Black Panthers being born here to the Black Lives Matter phrase being created here, Oakland has played a huge role in social justice reform and advocacy throughout its entire existence,” AASEG President Ray Bobbitt said. “Curt Flood, who helped change free agency in baseball, to Bill Russell, they’re all from Oakland. … We feel like the WNBA is the sports league that [has been] most active in that area, particularly during the 2020 social justice and economic movement.”
