As women's sports soar to new heights of popularity, so do the media publications that celebrate them.
The new quarterly Women's Basketball launched a few weeks ago, taking its cue from the increasing popularity of the WNBA. The magazine, led by Editor Gabby Hanna, an "avid sports enthusiast" who used to play at Barnard College, focuses on the all aspects of the game.
The first issue features an article about pro player Chamique Holdsclaw, a story on the shortage of women coaches in the WNBA and a gear page that features women's sneakers. Hanna wants to hear about the girl next door who plays basketball as much as she wants stories about the big shot. Relevant product information also is in this magazine's court.
The easiest way to contact her is through e-mail, at [email protected], but she'll accept faxes to 212/663-0429. Press packets may be sent to 265 Riverside Drive, Suite 10G, New York, N.Y., 10025.
Women's Basketball is at the tail end of the bandwagon, joining an influx of several big-name women's sports publications two years old or less. Sports magazine giant Sports Illustrated began with a test issue of Sports Illustrated for Women in 1997 and added four issues to its repertoire in 1999.
Not only that, but the current cover of Sports Illustrated features a woman - the U.S. Women's Soccer Team's Brandi Chastain - basking in the afterglow of her team's world cup win.
A catalyst for Conde Nast's Women's Sports and Fitness' success is definitely U.S. women's soccer team's World Cup win over China. Sales of last month's issue, which featured starter Julie Foudy's World Cup Diary, were the biggest ever for the two-year-old publication, according to Publisher Suzanne Grimes.
"We're the first and we're the biggest and we plan to grow the book aggressively," Grimes says.
Hanna says that not just women are interested in professional women's sports anymore; there's a broader target audience now.
"If you look at the audience at a WNBA game, there are a lot of men there, a lot of families, a lot of kids," she says.
The number of low-budget Web startups of women/sports-specific sites reflects the amount of interest in this topic.
FemSport.com, which was launched a few months ago, features interviews with professional female athletes, like Mia Hamm, and commentary about sports issues. Contact information is available at the site.
Justsportsforwomen.com also provides information on professional athletes as well as useful information, including a triathalon training guide.