Renee Brown recalls getting her job with the new WNBA in 1996 and almost immediately hopping on a plane for Europe to sign up players for the league's 1997 launch. She has some funny stories of tracking down people in those olden days before everyone was constantly accessible by cell phone.
Brown, the league's chief of basketball operations and player relations, knows the history of the WNBA because she lived at the epicenter of it. Now, after 20 years, Brown is leaving the league, and it's important to both applaud her contributions and also think about what qualities the WNBA should look for in her replacement.
"The timing is perfect for me," Brown said Tuesday in regard to ending her tenure after the WNBA's 20th anniversary season. She started as director of player personnel, and then her duties expanded. In 2005, the title of chief of basketball operations was added. Brown also has had a longtime association with USA Basketball, including as a coach with the 1996 Olympic team.
As congenial as she is, Brown doesn't often share much in-depth with the media. When asked Tuesday some of the bigger challenges she has faced in her time with the WNBA, Brown didn't offer any insight.
"Nothing, really," she said. "It's all been so enjoyable for me to go to games, watch players get drafted, be a part of USA Basketball. Running camps and clinics for young people. I've been very, very blessed."
Brown also didn't give specifics on what she planned to do next. She said she wanted to stay involved in "women's sports and women's empowerment," and would leave her options open. For now, though, she said her entire focus is on the on-going WNBA playoffs.
This is all understandable; Brown doesn't want to talk about anything that might detract from what's happening on court. But this year has been one of transition for the WNBA's leadership: Lisa Borders became president in February, and former Phoenix Suns/Mercury executive Jay Parry was named senior vice president/chief operating officer in April. Now a new person will be taking over Brown's high-ranking spot.
Brown said she will help in the search for her replacement. As for what qualities are most needed, Brown said it depends on how the job will be defined going forward.
"I'll have to take Lisa's lead in regard to what does she want in this role," Brown said. "But I think the main part of it is they've got to be passionate about wanting to help improve and continue the success of our league."
Again, this is vague. But to some degree the WNBA's upper management always has had an element of "vague" to it. If you ask around the WNBA teams, you'll find that communication between the league office and each franchise isn't always clear, or even frequent enough. Brown has worked many years at trying to fill in those gaps, but she also has had to wear multiple hats.
The areas that Brown oversaw are things that, in the NBA, might be split among a few different people. Of course, the NBA is a much bigger industry, with 30 teams as opposed to 12. It's doubtful that the WNBA front office will be expanding soon, so knowing how much there is to do in Brown's job impacts the kind of candidates the WNBA should interview.
It has to be someone who works very well and is trusted by Borders, but who also develops a strong relationship with each of the 12 franchises. And be someone whom the players, their union, and their agents feel they can talk to as well.
Yeah, that's a lot to do. Which means a multitasker with great people skills who is also not afraid of confrontation and mediation. It also should be someone who is already familiar with the WNBA and can take the handoff from Brown and hit the ground running. As opposed to spending a year or two just figuring out stuff that everybody who's in or around the WNBA already knows.
Brown didn't talk about the challenges, but they're not a mystery. They include scheduling/travel, balancing the demands of players' overseas careers, and dealing with how the franchises are run differently.
The latter is true in any professional league; there are always teams that have better ownership and management than others. But there is also a standard that leagues try to enforce with all their teams.
The WNBA has some teams that are affiliated with NBA teams, and some that aren't. There can be pluses and negatives to both. Teams have different housing/practice facility situations. Some teams have longtime pros in media, community relations and ticket sales, while others have more of a revolving door in those roles.
"I think the main part of it is they've got to be passionate about wanting to help improve and continue the success of our league." Renee Brown on who might replace her
That's not to suggest there's any magic wand or mandate from above that will easily equalize everything. But Brown surely has had to deal with the specific concerns that each franchise has, and that's a crucial ongoing task for her replacement.
Due diligence in hiring for this job would include talking to retired players, including recent retirees such as Tamika Catchings. Also to people like Dan Hughes and Lin Dunn, who had experience in both coaching and in the front office in pro basketball. Get insight from people still in the league and those who have stepped away.
Brown was asked about the changes in the WNBA that have happened in her tenure in regard to the product put on the court, which I think is now consistently very good.
She pointed to things such as the 8-second back-court violation, the 24-second shot clock, and the reset to 14 seconds after an offensive rebound as all contributing to more possessions, which equals more offense.
What she's most proud of from a cultural standpoint is that young female players now have so many women role models to follow.
"When you ask a player who she wants to be like," Brown said, "it's great to hear them say someone like Diana Taurasi or Lisa Leslie or Maya Moore. It warms my heart and is very meaningful to me."
Brown is from Henderson, Nevada. She played at UNLV, then got into officiating, and then became a coach, starting at the junior high level. When she looks back on how her path led to the WNBA, she feels like it was serendipitous. She recalls getting involved in USA Basketball just by going to a practice in Colorado Springs run by current Rutgers coach C. Vivian Stringer, and waiting to talk with her.
"I've been fortunate that every step along the way has been a step of growth and opportunity," Brown said. "So much of my career came from people recognizing my love of the game."
That love has been a guiding force in the WNBA. As the league starts its next chapter, it needs someone with the same commitment to keep building on what Brown has done.