INDIANAPOLIS (WRTV) At Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Saturday, the Indiana Fever honored Val Ackerman, the WNBAs inaugural president, with the Lin Dunn Inspiring Women Award as the league marks its 30th anniversary.Ackerman served a s the WNBAs first president from 1996 to 2005, guiding the league from its launch to national prominence. Her leadership helped build critical infrastructure, expand visibility for womens basketball, and open pathways for thousands of young women to pursue professional careers in sports.In remarks reflecting on the leagues beginnings, Ackerman credited former NBA Commissioner David Stern, NBA owners, and Indiana Pacers owner Herb Simon for helping bring the WNBA to life.I was part of a small group at the NBA that was monitoring the growth of womens basketball during that time, and we had a very motivated leader in David Stern who really believed that women were going to be critically important to the future of the game of basketball, she said.With his help and the help of the NBA owners at that time eventually Herb Simon here in Indiana the league became a reality. The NBA deserves all the credit in the world for the support theyve given the league. To see where the league has come over the last 30 years and the last 10 or so, in particular has really been amazing, Ackerman said.In addition to leading the WNBA, Ackerman is a past president of USA Basketball, a member of multiple sports halls of fame, and currently serves as commissioner of the Big East Conference. ...read more read less