The 2018 season of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) will be about more than just basketball; the organization is teaming up with several advocacy groups that support women and young girls with its “Take A Seat, Take A Stand” campaign.

The 22nd season of the WNBA will begin on Friday (May 18) and, through “Take A Seat,” the league will donate $5 to one of six groups for each ticket purchased by a fan to select games.  The six national partner organizations are:

  • Bright Pink, a national nonprofit focused on the prevention and early detection of breast and ovarian cancer in young women.
  • GLSEN, a national network of students, educators, parents and community leaders working to create safe and inclusive schools for LGBTQ students.
  • It’s On Us, a cultural movement aimed at fundamentally shifting the way we think about sexual assault.
  • MENTOR, the unifying champion for quality youth mentoring in the United States.
  • Planned Parenthood, the nation’s leading provider and advocate of high-quality, affordable health care for women, men and young people, as well as the nation’s largest provider of sex education.
  • The United State of Women, a national organization for any woman who sees that we need a different America for all women to survive and thrive — and wants to work collectively to achieve it.

 

All 12 of the league’s teams will participate in the initiative. In addition to the above-mentioned organizations, fans will have the choice to support local organizations in all 12 teams’ communities, which will vary by city.

“For 22 years, the WNBA and its players – women playing at the highest level of their sport – have stood up as role models for millions of women and girls,” said WNBA President Lisa Borders.  “With ‘Take a Seat, Take a Stand,’ we are proud to come together as a league to stand with our partner organizations, our fans and the many inspiring women raising their voices for change in the current women’s movement.”

Take a seat and take a stand by purchasing tickets at wnba.com/takeastand and join the conversation using #WNBATakesAStand on social media.  For the latest updates on “Take a Seat, Take a Stand,” follow the WNBA on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat (WNBA).