POWER PLAYERS 003 - Danita Johnson

“Don’t be afraid to ask for it” - Danita Johnson, President and COO of the Los Angeles Sparks A meteoric rise over 14 years in basketball to the office of president and COO of a major market professional organization, Danita offers a valuable, front-office perspective on a wide variety of pertinent topics in sports: the USWNT's fight for Equal Pay, the new WNBA CBA, the Sparks as a ‘multi-dimensional company', how revenue streams differ from her experience in an NBA front office to a WNBA front office, ways to increase the visibility of the game, and ways to increase star player marketability. We'll also tackle: The Kobe Bryant Effect on women’s professional sports; is there an LA Sparks tribute in the works?  The impact of COVID-19 on the WNBA’s upcoming season: could the WNBA as a league, economically, sustain stretches of games without fannies in the seats? The absence of merchandise in sporting goods stores, especially those who take an active, PR-style role in the WNBA championship series. Kristi Toliver and Becky Hammon ‘infiltrating’ the NBA’s coaching ranks. What about Hammon being skipped over for the likes of Tim Duncan on Gregg Popovich's staff? Featuring listener questions from: Genna in Miami asks about Kobe's impact and which NBA player will take the reigns  in carrying out his goal to promote the women's game