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WNBA Teams Shoot for AIDS Awareness

Expect Heart. Expect Drive. Expect Skills. Expect great. The 2009 WNBA marketing campaign says a lot about the athletes who comprise the most successful team-oriented women's professional sports league in US history. They embody a new ideal of womanhood – strong, confident, hard-working, passionate. This summer, the Minnesota Lynx and Washington Mystics will bring that energy to HIV/AIDS awareness in partnership with Until There’s A Cure® Foundation (UTAC).

The Minnesota Lynx will shine a spotlight on HIV/AIDS on August 1st as they take on the Phoenix Mercury at the Target Center in Minneapolis. Through pre- and post-game programming, information booths, and photo ops with Lynx star Candice Wiggins, the evening will draw attention to Minnesota children affected by AIDS. Having lost her father to complications from AIDS, Wiggins knows first-hand what it’s like to live with the deafening silence that surrounds the disease. Through public service campaigns and personal appearances, she’s getting the word out: "I want to make it cool to be educated about your health, like having the latest hot outfit. It shouldn't make you nervous. It should make you proud."¹ Partners for the event include the Candice Wiggins Foundation, the Minneapolis AIDS Project, and UTAC.

The Washington Mystics will focus on UTAC’s theme of Hope, Optimism, Prevention and Education (H.O.P.E.) as they face the New York Liberty at the Verizon Center on Sunday, August 16th. A pre-game health fair and panel discussion will feature healthcare providers, pharmaceutical companies, counselors, and persons affected by the disease from the Washington DC area. UTAC will provide in-game messaging and offer bracelets for sale.

The WNBA and its roster of extraordinary women have inspired young girls across the country to dream big, play hard, and stand tall. Athletic competition pays dividends in healthy bodies, healthy grades, and healthy self-image. With an added dose of AIDS awareness, the sky's the limit for the next generation.

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Founded in 1996, the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) is the governing body for the 13 women's professional basketball teams in the United States.

¹ See Minnesota Lynx star guard Candice Wiggins scores off-court points as an advocate for youth AIDS education, by Kristin Tillotson, Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune, June 1, 2009.

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