At the 2024 WNBA All‑Star Game, Valerie Ackerman took the stage to mark a milestone that few could imagine when she first picked up a basketball in a New Jersey driveway. The former commissioner, whose career spans three decades, used the occasion to reflect on the journey that began long before the league’s bright lights.
Early Years on the Driveway
Born in 1949 in Pennington, New Jersey, Ackerman grew up as a tomboy in an era when girls’ sports opportunities were scarce. A middle‑school cheerleading cut sent her to the family driveway, where she and her brother turned ordinary hoops into a proving ground.
Her father, Randy Ackerman, encouraged the makeshift games, and by high school she had become the school’s all‑time leading scorer, surpassing both boys’ and girls’ records. The achievement was a early signal that talent alone could cut through the barriers of her time.
College and Early Challenges
At the University of Virginia, she faced stark inequities: shared locker rooms, no pre‑game meals, and limited support despite serving as a four‑year captain and majoring in political thought. Those experiences sharpened her resolve to fight for fairness behind the scenes.
From Law to Leadership
In 1988, she made history as the first female lawyer hired by the NBA, a role that honed her analytical skills and set the stage for her entry into the nascent WNBA. The move from courtroom to boardroom was a natural progression for someone who had already challenged systemic bias.
Building the WNBA
When the WNBA launched, Ackerman joined as one of its founding architects, eventually rising to commissioner. Over 30 years she oversaw the league’s expansion, negotiated major broadcast deals, and championed initiatives that elevated the profile of women’s basketball worldwide.
A Final Address
At the recent All‑Star Game, she delivered a heartfelt address that wove together gratitude for her family, the mentorship of her grandfather George Ackerman — who taught her that “it’s not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog” — and the privilege of having shaped the sport’s modern landscape.
Her retirement, effective August 31, 2024, marks the close of an era defined by perseverance, strategic vision, and an unwavering belief that the fight for equality is won one generation at a time.