Val Ackerman

Valerie B. Ackerman (born November 7, 1959¹) is an American sports executive, lawyer, and former basketball player. She is the current commissioner of the Big East Conference. She is best known for being the first president of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), serving from 1996 to 2005. She was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011 and the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021.

Valerie B. Ackerman (born November 7, 1959) is an American sports executive, lawyer, and former basketball player. She is the current commissioner of the Big East Conference. She is best known for being the first president of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), serving from 1996 to 2005. She was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011 and the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021.

Early life

Ackerman was born in 1959 in Lakewood Township, New Jersey, but grew up in Pennington, New Jersey, United States. She was raised Roman Catholic. Her grandfather was director of athletics for Trenton State College, and her father was director of athletics at her own high school. She graduated in 1977 from Hopewell Valley Central High School in Hopewell Township, Mercer County, New Jersey. Her 1466 points set the school's varsity basketball career record for points scored by any basketball player, male or female, and she set the school's career scoring record as a halfback in field hockey, topped off by graduating second in her class. She also ran on her school's track team. She was inducted into the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Hall of Fame in 1997.

Awards and honors

Ackerman's honors have included the Brandweek Co-Marketer of the Year Award in 1997, which she shared with Rick Welts, then President of NBA Properties; the New Jersey Sportswriters Association Executive of the Year Award in 1998; the March of Dimes Sports Achievement Award in 1997; induction into the GTE Academic All-America Hall of Fame in 1999; and the National Mother's Day Committee's Outstanding Mother Award in 2002. She has also been inducted into the International Scholar-Athlete Hall of Fame, and received the National Women of Distinction Award from Girl Scouts of the USA. In 2006, she was named a recipient of the NCAA's Silver Anniversary Award, which is awarded to former student athletes who have achieved personal distinction since graduation. In 2008, she received the IOC's Women of Distinction diploma, and the John Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award from the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. In 2010, she was named an inductee of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame's Class of 2011. She was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011. In 2011, she was named a Champion in Sports Business by Sports Business Journal. The Women's Sports Foundation named her one of its "40 for 40" honorees as part of its celebration of the 40th anniversary of Title IX in 2012. In 2013 she received USA Basketball's Edward S. Steitz Award. In 2021 she was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, and is a "Life Trustee" of the Hall, which is the "highest honor a Hall of Fame Board member can receive".

Ackerman report

In November 2012, Ackerman was hired by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to study the women's game and come up with recommendations for improvement. She conveyed preliminary conclusions in a presentation at a Women's Basketball Coaches Association convention, and followed up with a formal written report in June 2013. Some of the proposals including cutting the number of scholarships (to improve parity), changing the dates or locations of the NCAA Tournament, and possible rules changes such as reducing the shot clock.

Personal life

Ackerman lives in New York City with her husband, Charles Rappaport. They have two grown daughters, Emily and Sally.

References

Text derived from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1345616980 under CC BY-SA 4.0; modifications have been made.