Ten years ago, Swish Appeal published an article about WNBA team names, arguing that women’s basketball fans deserve better. Considering 10 years have passed, and two of the teams discussed no longer exist, it might be the proper moment for an update. To paraphrase Jeffrey “The Dude” Lebowski, “It is just my opinion, man,” but I am not a fan of some teams’ names.
With the freedom inherent in naming a franchise in the United States, it should be rather easy to come up with a captivating, catchy name that simultaneously encapsulates what the city or the state is all about. (In contrast, European franchises often are obligated to include the names of sponsors, which is constraining. Consider, for example, Italian greats like Virtus Segafredo Bologna or Beretta Famila Schio.) Yet, it is not always the case, as proven by this informative listicle explaining the meanings behind WNBA franchise names.
Some are meh, some are okay and some are just perfect.
Tier One: Perfect
New York Liberty
When you think about New York, few things are more emblematic of the city than Lady Liberty. For centuries, she has welcomed immigrants, first from Europe and increasingly from around the globe, to this new world of endless possibilities.
Behind the name also is the freedom of…
