What David Stern did for the sport of basketball transcended any gender bias and opened a whole new world for women in the game.
NBA commissioner from 1984 to 2014, Stern was the key figure in the formation and operation of the WNBA in 1997. That bold move paved the way for Stern, who died Jan. 1, 2020, to be inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday night.
Stern was joined in the induction class by former players Tamika Catchings, Swin Cash, Lauren Jackson and Debbie Brock, along with contributors Carol Callan, Sue Donohoe and Carol Stiff.
“The WNBA was my father’s baby,” said Eric Stern, representing his father. “It was something he had to fight for. He had to spend a lot of professional capital, and even some personal capital, to make it happen.
“There were a lot of doubters. He tended to enjoy conflict and didn’t mind it at all. He did a lot of civil rights work as he was growing up. He had a strong conviction toward equity and equality.”