Carley Knox is entering her 10th season with the Minnesota Lynx and her 15th in the WNBA. In December 2016, she was named the Vice President of Lynx Business Operations and is the primary liaison between the team and the WNBA on league-wide business and marketing initiatives. Knox oversees the day to day business operations of the Lynx, including logistics, business development, budget management, preseason and regular season scheduling, and continues to play a role in the development of both corporate and ticket sales. In a brief interview, Knox chimed in on the Minnesota Lynx, the WNBA All-Star Game, WNBA viewership, and female leadership in business.
Carley Knox Interview
1. Defending champions, a renovated Target Center, a new logo and court, the 20th season, hosting the WNBA All-Star game, it was an action-packed season. What impact has all of the excitement had on the Lynx business front?
We’ve been so thankful and proud of the tremendous community and corporate support of the Minnesota Lynx. The Lynx grow our fanbase every year and continue to have the largest season ticket member base in the WNBA. Our business continues to grow each year, thanks to the support of partners like you. New partners included Slumberland (presenting sponsor of the Lynx Dream Team) and Diageo (supporter of Pride Weekend), amongst others. We also finished our third year with the President’s Circle, which is an elite and exclusive club that offers unique, insider access to the Lynx franchise and a way to give back to the community. The Minnesota Lynx President’s Circle has grown 86% since it’s inception in 2016. We have several new members, including UnitedHealthcare CEO, Philip Kaufman. 2. Hosting the WNBA All-Star Game is a great opportunity to show off the facilities and the city to a national audience. How did you work with current partners and engage new partners to bring everything together? We appreciate the support of our partners around All-Star Weekend. From the All-Star practice to the WNBA Reception to the game itself, it was great to see the support for not just our players but the league as a whole. Rasmussen College joined us to local presenting partner for both the All-Star Practice and All-Star Reception. Rasmussen has many shared values with the Lynxand their students and our fans are a similar demographic. The school received a great deal of national exposure resulting in the President of Rasmussen College, Dr. Trenda Boyum-Breen, receiving calls from other college presidents from all across the country. 3. Lisa Borders recently reported that WNBA viewership was up 35% compared to last season and sales in the WNBA store were up 50%. What initiatives are contributing to this and from a league standpoint? I think there are a lot of contributing factors. In local markets, there are community leaders and advocates for the WNBA, who are working tirelessly to bring people out to their first WNBA games. Getting people out to a game and witnessing what the WNBA is about, usually converts fans immediately. ‘Take a Seat, Take a Stand’ was rolled out at the beginning of this season as the WNBA’s women and girls empowerment initiative, while also driving new fans to our games. The league has partnered with very prominent, national organizations that are driving conversations around societal issues, women’s empowerment, and honoring diversity. These issues remain important to our players, fanchise, and fans. The support of our Twin Cities brother teams, has been another big piece in our organic growth. The Twins, the Vikings, the Wild, the Timberwolves, and even our relationships with the University of Minnesota, have been very impactful. The entire state has really embraced the team. You also have NBA players that are very vocal with their support. Isaiah Thomas wrote a great article in The Players’ Tribune. Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, and Kobe Bryant are all very vocal on social media. Influencers like these have been key to creating that buzz and getting people to tune in. 4. In recent years, there has been an increased emphasis on cultivating female leadership in business. What are the Timberwolves & Lynx doing to support women in the sports industry? How can other companies support these movements? It started with the leadership. Our female Vice Presidents, with the support of CEO Ethan Casson, have been driving to diversify the organization through the recruitment of staff. One of the programs we developed is our Fellowship Program for female college graduates. It is a year-long program where the fellow rotates through eight of our business units to experience the different aspects of the organization. Thus far, all of our fellows have found full-time positions within the organization. We also redeveloped our Women in Sports Council (WISC), a group that includes all of the women at the Timberwolves & Lynx. We focus on networking, professional and personal development, giving back to the community and mentoring throughout the community. I encourage all companies to support these initiatives, not just regarding women in the workplace, but diversity from all backgrounds. And in many ways, by supporting the Lynx, you are already aligning your values with ours..