Friday night’s Dallas Wings game provided more than just entertaining play on the court. It also supplied some perspective.
The franchise positioned the game as “Inspiring Women Night” and incorporated a number of initiatives consistent with that theme into the evening’s presentation. One of the first events was a pregame panel emceed by Wings Vice President, Social Responsibility and Executive Director, Community Foundation LaDondra Wilson. Engineered by the local chapter of Women in Sports + Entertainment (WISE), it included five women who are shaping the local sports scene:
- Dallas Trinity FC Founder and Principal Dori Neil Arazia
- Wings Chief Operating Officer Amber Cox
- Dallas Mavericks Chief Impact Officer and President, Mavs Foundation Katie Edwards
- FC Dallas Vice President of Media and Communications Gina Miller
- Dallas Sports Commission Executive Director Monica Paul
The panelists talked about the exciting things happening for women in sports in North Texas. That includes not only women’s teams playing the games, as in the likes of the USL and the WNBA. It also includes having female voices shaping the future of sports in general.
All could provide the historical perspective of a time when having six women talking about big-picture sports topics would have been barely conceivable. Miller remembered being “in a position where I was the only female sportscaster in a lot of markets, and you couldn’t have more than one female sportscaster in a market.” But the panel mostly didn’t dwell on overcoming past obstacles. They were too excited about all the projects they get to work on now in the area the Sports Business Journal cited as the country’s top sports business city.
“I think there’s always that vision of continued growth. So now the real pressure, actually, when you’re named number one sports business city, is how to keep it there, how to remain on top of the mountain,” said Paul in answer to Wilson’s question about the honor.
Certainly adding teams can drive growth. Dallas Trinity FC begins its season Sunday evening in the USL Super League, a new women’s professional circuit. Neil Arazia noted that the league is a division one entity, the top competitive level in the sport, and that it has benefitted from the qualities that contributed to the region’s SBJ honor.
“It’s been overwhelming. I mean, I will say from the city council to fellow sports teams to just local people in the community reaching out wanting to just volunteer,” she said. “Everyone has been beyond welcoming, and we’ve felt that, and that sort of reaffirmed just the need for another women’s sports team, in particular soccer.”
The panelists also talked about another big moment for the world’s most popular sport.
“The 2026 (men’s) World Cup is going to bring so many people to the sport, because it is the global game. And Dallas-Fort Worth has. How many matches anybody know?” said Miller to the group.
FC Dallas President Dan Hunt, sitting in the front row, quickly (and correctly) answered that the event will bring nine men’s World Cup games to Arlington in 2026, the most of any stadium. Both Paul and Miller (and Hunt, to be sure) played a substantial role in securing the slate of matches.
Basketball is also a sport that can contribute to a city’s profile beyond the region. The Wings honored forward Satou Sabally Friday for her role in Germany’s Olympic run. Edwards noted that her team recognizes it’s important to think both globally and locally.
“The talent that we have is really global. So we’re thinking about our international strategies, and how can we reach out to build our exposure and across the world. So it is very, very big and very exciting, but it also trickles into our community work, and I think that’s so special because we as an organization are so committed to who we are here in the Dallas area and across North Texas.”
The Mavericks and Wings collaborate on the “Girls Empowered By Mavericks” program which aims to bring opportunities to young women in the sport. Positive trends in the popularity of the women’s game have trickled both down and up.
“We’ve certainly seen the growth,” said Cox. “(The Wings) sold out of season tickets this year. We’re playing at 97% capacity this year. Just announced this week that the Wings are the most valuable franchise in the WNBA. So a lot of really good metrics coming out.”
When the Wings moved from Tulsa to Dallas in 2016, just eight years ago, sold-out arenas and, indeed, much of the growth in women’s sports, was still percolating. Consider that as 2016 began:
- The area had no women’s pro basketball or soccer team (the Wings and Dallas Trinity FC have changed that)
- It had yet to host its first Women’s Final Four (it has since staged two, in 2017 and 2023)
- It had hosted one NCAA Women’s Gymnastics final (in 2015 – Fort Worth has since hosted six more)
- It had never hosted the Women’s Tennis Association Finals (Fort Worth did in 2022)
- The country had no women’s pro volleyball league (Dallas has since hosted two Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball seasons plus one in basketball and a new volleyball league expects to place a team in North Texas later this decade)
Another aspect of the night’s proceedings provided a chance to reflect on progress.
“You will see tonight women from the WBL, which preceded the WNBA. All of that helped get us to where we are today,” noted Cox.
At a third-quarter timeout, the team brought onto the College Park Center floor players from the Women’s Basketball League, which folded in 1981. It had a team called the Dallas Diamonds, who also played in the short-lived WABA in 1984-85. Dallas had not had a top-tier women’s pro team since then until the Wings arrived.
The franchise also distributed their second annual Nancy Lieberman Women of Inspiration Awards during the game and at halftime, with former Diamond Lieberman in attendance at both the panel and the game. They named actor and comedian Wanda Sykes as the Trailblazer Woman of Inspiration Award winner, Dr. Cheryl Jackson as the recipient of the Community Woman of Inspiration Award, and Danyel Surrency Jones as the Businesswoman of Inspiration Award winner.
Looking at all the pomp and circumstance, one could surmise that women’s sports had become a big deal in North Texas. One would have guessed correctly. And those involved in the endeavor don’t want to stop. They want to know what – and who – will be the next trailblazers.
“I think we as female leaders are all really open to having those conversations, because we all want to continue to see people coming behind us that are running the WNBA, running FC Dallas, whatever the case may be,” said Cox.
