Latest news with #PhilCook
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
The WNBA's 'Line 'Em Up' program is banking on the 3-ball
Colors are often used as symbolic cultural tools that evoke soul-stirring emotions. For the WNBA, its signature orange hue has accomplished that and more for the 29-year-old professional sports league. It's also become synonymous with representation. The phrase "If you can see her, you can be her" is woven into the DNA fibers of that striking shade of orange, and its reach is growing beyond the hardwood. On June 9, the WNBA launched 'Line 'Em Up', a nationwide campaign that seeks to paint the official WNBA 3-point line on outdoor courts across the country. The hope is that it will create a designated space for women and girl athletes on public courts, one of the most accessible areas within basketball. Advertisement "When a young girl walks onto that basketball court and sees the WNBA orange 3-point line, they know that they're being represented in a democratic community space where they once were not," Phil Cook, the league's chief marketing officer, told USA TODAY. As simple as the concept sounds, Cook revealed that the idea to paint the orange line developed into something more, the longer the WNBA dove deeper into the possibilities for young players. The league pondered: "What if we just painted an orange line on every outdoor basketball court in the country?" Then it became, "And that orange line is the actual 3-point distance of the WNBA's 3-point line." Finally, the WNBA's front office landed on the true heart of the matter: "And we allowed young girls to go out and imagine them taking the same shot as their WNBA heroes at the park." USA TODAY Studio IX: Check out our women's sports hub for in-depth analysis, commentary and more all season Bingo. Advertisement With one proverbial brush stroke, the WNBA is potentially painting the early legacies of future pros, something that current Connecticut Sun center Tina Charles understands. "Growing up in Queens, New York, at that time, it was really hard to be a female to get on the court, " Charles said in a short film developed as part of the campaign. "I know I had something to prove. We've all been through it. All the greats.""You think this line just showed up one day?" challenged WNBA legend Sue Bird, who also makes an appearance. "Generations of women worked hard for every inch of that arc." Players like Bird, the recently retired Diana Taurasi, Minnesota Lynx guard Kayla McBride, and Indiana Fever forward DeWanna Bonner, who all sit on the top-ten list of the most made threes in WNBA history, drained shot after shot to get this moment. Their hard work built a foundation for today's specialists, like Las Vegas Aces guard Jewell Loyd, Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark and New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu, who will, in turn, inspire many athletes who step behind the orange lines. Still, as important as WNBA 3-point arcs across the country will be, the concept of creating access and safe spaces through representation isn't new. The MLS maintains mini-pitches in each club's city. The NFL has the "Play Football" initiative, which engages youth through camps, activities and flag and tackle football. There are also numerous court refurbishment projects across the country. So, what makes this initiative different, a cut above the rest? "I think what makes us unique is that this was the one simple kind of initiative or action that differentiated just an upgrade. It's an upgrade in that it represents a league that was ignored in this space," Cook explained. "The entire WNBA was not represented in this space. Dropping that line down now represents an entire league's identity and can drive participation and authenticity in this space." Advertisement What's more, Cook shared that the increased visibility by bringing professional women's basketball closer to communities and parks could provide a glimpse into just how far-reaching the WNBA's impact is becoming. "When we start seeing young athletes, young women chalking up their driveways with orange chalk to represent that 3-point line ― when we get to that virality of scale, we'll know we're onto something." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: WNBA 'Line 'Em Up' program: What is it, and why does it matter?
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
WNBA encourages girls to ‘get buckets' with new ‘Line Em Up' campaign
The post WNBA encourages girls to 'get buckets' with new 'Line Em Up' campaign appeared first on ClutchPoints. In an effort to increase accessibility for young women interested in basketball and the WNBA, the league has announced an initiative to bring its official three-point line to courts in parks nationwide. Advertisement The initiative, dubbed 'Line 'Em Up,' will also include donations from the league to each participating park, according to a press release. 'The park has always been at the heart of basketball,' the Line 'Em Up website reads. 'The ultimate proving ground where anyone can step up and make a name for themselves. Well, almost anyone. For too long, park courts have been dominated by men, leaving women to have to fight for every inch of space on the court. While some broke through, too many have been left on the sidelines. 'And we're not about that.' The site adds that Line 'Em Up will 'give girls and women undeniable equity at the park by painting the Fire Orange WNBA 3-point line on park courts across the country.' Advertisement The color orange has been synonymous with the WNBA's branding for years, seen everywhere from the iconic orange WNBA hoodies to the panels on the official basketballs. Seeing the orange on the three-point line in the park will give young women a clear signal that they are welcome. 'When a young girl walks onto that basketball court and sees the WNBA orange 3-point line, they know that they're being represented in a democratic community space where they once were not,' WNBA CMO Phil Cook told USA Today. The WNBA three-point line is currently 22 feet and 1.75 inches from the basket — the same distance used in college and internationally. But many parks still use only the old college line (19 feet, 9 inches or more recently 20 feet, 9 inches) and the NBA line (23 feet, 9 inches). As Cook explained, that's what makes it more than just an upgrade for local parks. Advertisement 'The entire WNBA was not represented in this space,' he said. 'Dropping that line down now represents an entire league's identity and can drive participation and authenticity in this space.' Related: Aces' Becky Hammon drops truth bomb on Natalie Nakase's departure for Valkyries Related: Cowboys 2025 Draft pick shows WNBA support at Wings-Sparks
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Duke University Professor Emeritus Philip J. Cook on the impacts of gun violence on Americans
Duke University Sanford School Emeritus Professor of Public Policy Phil Cook (Photo: Sanford School of Public Policy) Across the United States, gun violence continues to be an ever-more-serious national plague. According to the latest mortality data from the CDC, firearm-related deaths among children and teenagers in the United States have soared by 50% since 2019. In 2023, firearms remained the leading cause of death among American youth for the third year in a row. So what impact is this having on the attitudes of average Americans? A new report published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, entitled 'Valuing the benefits of reducing firearm violence in the United States' indicates that it's a big one and that most Americans would be willing to make significant sacrifices in order to address it. Indeed, the authors found that Americans would willing to pay nearly $100 billion for policies that reduce gun violence by 20%, and recently NC Newsline's Rob Schofield caught up with one of the authors — Duke University Sanford School Professor Emeritus of Public Policy Philip J. Cook — to learn more. Click here to listen to the full interview with Professor Philip J. Cook.
