JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Donna Orender, founder of Generation W and former president of the WNBA, has used what she learned on the court as a pro basketball player to help motivate and empower women and teenage girls.
Orender grew up in New York, where basketball became her passion, and she now lives in Jacksonville.
“I think sports have shaped my whole life. And the more I reflect, the more I see the impact that it’s had. I didn’t start playing sports because I thought I was going to be a great athlete,” Orender admitted. “I just wanted my dad to notice me. And I know he read the sports pages every morning. And I think, ‘Well, if I get to know a little bit about sports, maybe we have something to talk about.‘”
Orender said her love of basketball is as cerebral as it is emotional.
“There’s something like algebraic or geometric about it. It’s like when you’re moving down the court, and you’re estimating somebody’s speed and motion and you kind of see them and you, you know, you lob in a pass or there’s a bounce pass and you hit them right in that crucial point where they can just take it up or you catch them in their pocket and they can take a shot,” Orender said.
Despite her low expectations of her own skills when she took up the sport, Orender was good enough at basketball to play at the collegiate level and then for the first women’s professional basketball league in the United States: the WBL.
“I got a call. ‘We’re starting this league. So you want to play?’ I was like, ‘Wow, OK. Yes, of course, I want to play,‘” Orender recalled.
Orender started with the New York Stars and played in all three seasons of the league, but the WBL struggled to make an impression among crowds who favored men’s basketball. It disbanded in 1981.
But Orender has never been phased by the male-dominated nature of sports. She went on to work for the PGA, a job that brought her to Jacksonville in 1990.
She rose within the ranks to senior vice president of strategic development, but her love of basketball never waned, and in 2005, she was named the new president of the Women’s NBA.
“I learned a lot when I led the WNBA. I learned -- I like to say -- a lot about how the world felt about women and girls, and it was shocking to me,” Orender said.
She said recognizing the lack of resources and respect for female athletes and women in general later guided her in her next mission: Generation W.
The organization she started motivates and inspires women through positivity, confidence and what Orender refers to as “thought leadership,” helping them understand relevant issues of our time and the action steps available to effect change.
“I think Generation W was created in the service of helping to elevate people. And we truly believe when you elevate women, you elevate us all,” Orender said.
But, Orender acknowledged, “you got to want to do the work.”
“I come from parents who worked hard, and I love to do the work,” Orender said. “I’m not afraid of it. I embrace it. I think it’s part of it. I know it’s a four-letter word.”
But so is love, Orender pointed out.
Orender imparts her passion to teenage girls through her program Generation WOW, helping to lead, educate and mentor the city’s next generation.
“I love the city of Jacksonville, and I’ve been here long enough to have seen it grow in so many different ways,” Orender said. “As much as it has grown, I remain as excited as ever for the next steps that are upon us and so I look forward to being part of that and contributing.”
Orender has just accepted the position as commissioner of the Upshot League, a professional women’s basketball league that will be headquartered in Jacksonville. There will be teams in Jacksonville, Savannah, Greensboro and Charlotte. Play is expected to start next year.
In the meantime, Orender is hosting Generation W’s annual conference on Friday.
The Explore conference will feature several speakers from around the country, workshops and interactive discussions. You can register at GenWNow.com.
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The program begins at 8 a.m. Friday at the UNF Fine Arts Center. Ticket prices include complimentary parking, along with breakfast and lunch.
