NEW YORK, May 14, 2007 -- In celebration of the WNBA's 11th season, the league and teams will give back to the communities who have supported them for the past decade with community events throughout the country. Through the week of May 14th, teams will be active in their respective markets, engaging with fans in a variety of programs, including WNBA Be Smart-Be Fit-Be Yourself clinics, Read to Achieve reading rallies, Jr. WNBA clinics, Habitat for Humanity builds, school visits and much more.

Through WNBA Cares, the WNBA is deeply committed to creating programs that improve the quality of life for all people, with a special emphasis on promoting a healthy lifestyle and positive body image, breast health awareness, youth and family development, and education.

Below are select highlights of WNBA Cares Week activities.

Chicago: The Sky's Brooke Wyckoff will host a Reading Time Out event for local students at the Chicago Public Library-Toman Branch on May 17.

Connecticut: Through the Connecticut Sun All Star Reading Challenge, the team selected local schools with the highest reading average to win a special team visit and ice cream party. Visits to Mohegan Elementary School, Nathan Hale School, John Winthrop School, CB Jennings School, Israel Putnam School and Orchard Hills School will take place May 14th through the 25th.

Detroit: The Shock built a new Reading and Learning Center at the Flint Boys & Girls Club and the entire squad will be on-hand to celebrate the unveiling of the center on May 15. The players will spend time with the children and speak to them regarding the importance of education.

Indiana: For the second consecutive year, the Fever teamed with Habitat for Humanity to build a home for a deserving mother in the local area. The home was presented to Candee Bateman and her family on Mother's Day. The team will also host its annual season tip-off "Rally on the Circle" for fans on May 16.

Los Angeles: The Sparks will host their "Tip a Spark" Fundraiser on May 15 to benefit the iCare Foundation. The organization has committed to providing bus transportation for local foster children so they can attend an upcoming Sparks home game.

Phoenix: The Mercury hosted a season tip-off fan festival at Tempe Town Lake where Mercury players participated in a 5K Walk to benefit the Susan G. Komen Foundation on May 12. The team will also conduct a WNBA Be Smart-Be Fit-Be Yourself clinic at the WNBA Be Tour launch on May 25 at the US Airways Center.

San Antonio: Silver Stars players will make a special visit to the Fort Sam Houston US Army Base on May 16 to help the Jensen family's five children celebrate Mother's Day with their mother. Their father is deployed in Iraq until March 2008.

Seattle: The Storm will celebrate WNBA Cares week with a special breakfast for local youth at the Spirit of Washington Center on May 16. The team will also host children from the local Boys & Girls club at the "Shrek the Third" movie premiere on May 18.

Washington: The entire Mystics team will help raise awareness for childhood obesity by bowling for the Strike Childhood Obesity Fundraiser at Lucky Strike Lanes on May 16. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Mystics Foundation.

All teams will also be distributing WNBA backpacks stuffed with special prizes including game tickets, raffles and WNBA merchandise to select youth groups in their local communities, starting WNBA Cares week and through the start of the season.

In support of the WNBA Cares initiative, television stations across the nation will display the newly re-designed WNBA team uniforms, designed and manufactured by adidas, on their sets through the week of May 14th to celebrate their local team's work in the community. For every uniform that makes it on air, the WNBA is donating $100 -- up to $10,000 total -- to Girls Incorporated, a WNBA Cares community partner that share the league's vision for enabling young girls to reach their full potential.

About the WNBA
The WNBA will tip off its second decade of play in 2007 and will feature a record number of national telecasts. Comprehensive coverage of the WNBA regular season will include 91 national telecasts on ABC, ESPN2 and NBA TV. The season will begin on May 19 when the defending champion Detroit Shock host the Sacramento Monarchs in a rematch of last year's WNBA Finals. The WNBA All-Star Game will be played at Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. on July 15 at 3:30 pm ET with live coverage on ABC.