Spokane Supports Reign
Mention Spokane to Seattle Reign general manager Jim Weyermann and he has facts and figures.
“Kimmel Athletic Supply Co. is the highest in per cap in merchandise sales for Seattle Reign gear,” he said.
Weyermann, one of eight GMs in the newly formed women’s American Basketball League, is paid to pay attention to such details. It’s part of the plan while trying to sell a grassroots league.
“Promoting the league, promoting the Seattle Reign, that’s 90 percent of the job,” said Weyermann, who left his job with the Seattle Center after 15 years.
And he seems to be doing it quite well. The Reign, tied with San Jose for second place in the West Division, is No. 1 in ticket sales and No. 2 in merchandise sales and corporate sponsorship, he said.
Among its courtside season-ticket holders is Seattle Sonic Gary Payton. Teammates, Shawn Kemp, Nate McMillan and Sam Perkins, also have showed their support.
At Sunday night’s home game against San Jose, the Reign drew 3,481 spectators in the 4,623-seat Mercer Arena. The league attendance average is 2,300.
The fan core? Weyermann has numbers for that, too.
“They’re 25- to 44-year-old women who have been following women’s basketball for 35 years or however long they’ve been alive.
“It’s amazing how many father-daughter combos you see. Also mother-daughters,” Weyermann said.
And many go home with souvenir T-shirts, be with the Reigns’ logo, or one that declares “Little Girls Dream, Too.”
Although Kimmel didn’t carry the latter, assistant retail manager Bert Karnofski said the store ordered five to six dozen before the holidays and “we sold them in a heartbeat. “
Spokane supporters had a chance to see the Reign play the Atlanta Glory at the Arena last fall during the preseason. Weyermann said there’s a chance the team will return to Spokane next season.
He doesn’t hesitate when asked about the rival Women’s National Basketball Association, an eight-team NBA-backed league that is set to launch in June.
“I don’t think they even consider us competition,” he said. “Hats off to them. They’ve been around for 50 years.
“We have a piece of an ideal. That’s what the ABL has.”
, DataTimes