I think that the significance of the WNBA is that it has given

The words of Anne Donovan rise like a clear trumpet-call, carrying both pride and prophecy: “I think that the significance of the WNBA is that it has given women a different platform and a different level of respect as professionals, both as players and also in our coaching.” In this declaration, there is not only the voice of an athlete, but the cry of a trailblazer who has seen the soil of inequality and chosen to sow in it seeds of honor. Her words remind us that respect is not given freely to the overlooked, but must be carved into the stone of history by courage, labor, and unyielding perseverance.

From the dawn of time, women have labored under shadows, their strength hidden, their voices muted. Yet in every age, there have been those who broke the silence—warriors, leaders, thinkers, mothers—whose deeds proclaimed that women’s power is not lesser, but equal in dignity and force. Donovan speaks as one of these voices, declaring that the WNBA is not merely a league of games, but a platform, a stage upon which women stand not as imitators of men, but as professionals in their own right, commanding a level of respect once denied them.

This is no small thing. For to be seen as a professional is to be seen as one whose work, whose craft, whose discipline is worthy of honor. Too long were women’s efforts in sport dismissed as pastime or spectacle, not as mastery. The players of the WNBA shattered that illusion with sweat and strategy, with talent that rivaled any court in the world. And the coaches, too, claimed their rightful place—not as assistants in the shadows, but as leaders and visionaries guiding teams with wisdom and resolve. Donovan’s voice reminds us that respect is earned not only by presence, but by excellence displayed in the open light.

History offers us many echoes of this truth. Consider Wilma Rudolph, who overcame childhood polio to become the fastest woman in the world, winning three Olympic gold medals in track and field. Her triumph was not simply victory in sport—it was a blow against prejudice, a proclamation that women, and especially women of color, could claim the world stage with strength and grace. Just as Rudolph’s victories opened doors, the rise of the WNBA has widened the gates for generations of women athletes and leaders, showing them that their craft is worthy of respect, not dismissal.

But the words of Donovan carry also a deeper lesson. They remind us that progress is not just about playing a game—it is about building platforms, about creating spaces where dignity can flourish. A platform is a foundation, a place to stand, a height from which voices can be heard. Without platforms, even the most gifted are silenced; with them, even the marginalized can become champions. The WNBA became such a platform, and through it, women in sport stand tall where once they stooped unseen.

And what lesson, then, shall we take? It is this: if you have power, build platforms for others. Whether in your work, your community, your family, or your art, do not be content to rise alone. Make space for others to rise with you. Create opportunities where there are none. Give respect where it has long been withheld. For in lifting others, you lift the world, and in building platforms, you build futures.

Practical wisdom flows from this: honor the women in your life who labor in silence; support the institutions that give voice to the overlooked; challenge dismissive words and actions that diminish another’s professional worth. And above all, carry forward the vision of Anne Donovan—that true greatness is not only measured by one’s own achievement, but by the respect and opportunity one secures for those who come after.

Thus, the significance of the WNBA is far more than games won or trophies lifted. It is a monument to courage, a testimony that respect, once withheld, can be claimed through persistence and excellence. Let this truth be passed on: when the world does not offer you a platform, build one. And when you stand upon it, lift others to stand beside you.