Wrap up on Sky season from a business standpoint

You can't blame Adam Fox for being sick of the viability question.

Each year, like clockwork, it comes. When the WNBA season winds to a close, as it is now with the Minnesota Lynx and the Atlanta Dream battling in the Finals, reporters ask about the fiscal health of the Chicago Sky.

How viable is the organization?

What will it take to keep the team in business?

It's a question shaky startups typically get, which is why Fox, the president of the Sky, isn't thrilled to keep addressing. He doesn't see the Sky as a shaky startup anymore.

The franchise finished its sixth year and, despite failing to earn its first playoff berth, the Sky recorded its best attendance numbers ever.

“We're in this for the long haul,” Fox said. “I would hope that at this point, the (viability question) is coming off the board for us.”

But the Sky continues to face an uphill climb for a meaningful share of a tough and crowded marketplace that is only beginning to warm to professional women's sports. And in a financial climate in which decades-old corporations such as Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns, the Rocky Mountain News and even the four-time WNBA champion Houston Comets can suddenly vanish, the viability question seems relevant to nearly every business in existence.

The good news for Sky fans, however, is that signs for growth and success are pointing in the right direction.

“If you want to talk viability, what helps to make you viable is when you have a really strong commitment from your ownership and the league. We have that,” Fox said. “They know that this is something that's a little different, that we're not instant oatmeal and that we're stepping out of the traditional sports box, and that all takes time.

“The Sky is something our ownership believes in. There is plenty of work to do but we are very encouraged. After six years, we absolutely know that there is a market for this in Chicago.”

Sponsors are telling Fox and his staff that, and so are fans.

Sponsorships, including 34 major accounts, have been steady the last couple of years, providing the team with enough resources to televise nearly every game (Comcast CN100), and extend its reach.

Fox says that there are also several candidates interested in being a presenting or marquee sponsor to put its logo on the front of the team's jerseys.

As for attendance, those numbers shot up 29 percent this season from 2010 levels, and records were set all over the place. The Sky drew its highest single-game crowd of 13,800 in July, topping its previous record by nearly double.

On average, the Sky drew 5,500 fans per game this season, compared to 4,100 a year ago. Big gains came from sales to groups such as the Girls Scouts, park district teams, high school organizations and summer camps.

“We had unexpected little surprises, too, like when we drew over 6,000 fans to a game on a Tuesday night against Seattle,” Fox said. “Moving to Allstate Arena has really helped with our exposure. It's easy for our fans from the city to get there, and we're right in the middle of the suburbs. It's been a big reason people are taking the time to come out and see us for the first time.

“We've been able to turn many of those people into season ticket holders.”

And now Fox wants to give those loyal fans the number one thing they want: a winner.

The Sky was in the playoff mix for most of the season, but faltered down the stretch and missed the cut again.

“It hasn't been too hard to watch the playoffs, but it has been motivating, and even somewhat embarrassing, knowing that we weren't in the mix,” Fox said. “We're close and there's a small margin between the teams that are in and out. But we need to get there now. It's a necessary payoff for all of our fans, especially the one who have been loyally following us for the last four to five years.

“They want that payoff.”

Next up: What changes will Sky head coach and general manager Pokey Chatman make over the off-season to build a playoff-caliber team in 2012? And whhat does all-star center Sylvia Fowles think about the Sky's future?

pbabcock@dailyherald.com

Patricia Babcock McGraw, who covers the WNBA for the Daily Herald, also provides color commentary for Chicago Sky broadcasts.