NEW YORK – WNBA FIT Month presented by Kaiser Permanente tips off today, beginning an exciting series of health and wellness programs and events hosted by teams and players that encourages physical and mental well-being for fans of all ages and promotes the understanding of the benefits of a healthy body and mind.

Throughout the month, the WNBA and Kaiser Permanente will host a four-clinic series with current and former WNBA players to engage hundreds of youth and senior citizens in both basketball and fitness skills and drills, and share guidance for staying active and achieving total health.  The clinics will also feature new mental wellness and mindfulness activities that focus on thriving together, self-reflection and meditation.

To support “Take A Seat, Take a Stand”, the WNBA’s new women and girls empowerment program for the 2018 season, each community organization that participates in a clinic will receive tickets to watch their local WNBA team in action.  Clinics will take place in New York, Washington D.C. and Las Vegas, in addition to one already held in Seattle.

As part of WNBA FIT Month, the WNBA and its teams will also partner with Bright Pink for WNBA Breast Health Awareness (Aug. 1-12) to help with the prevention and early detection of breast and ovarian cancer in young women.  Each team will host a Breast Health Awareness (BHA) game in which players will debut Nike BHA uniforms and oncourt warm-up shirts.  The shirts will be available for purchase at WNBAStore.com beginning Aug. 2.  To further support the initiative, the WNBA and Nike will also be making donations to Bright Pink and Kay Yow.

NBA TV will air more than 20 nationally televised games during WNBA FIT Month, beginning with a doubleheader today with the New York Liberty visiting the Connecticut Sun at 7:00 p.m. ET followed by the Las Vegas Aces hosting the Phoenix Mercury at 10:00 p.m. ET.  ESPN2 will feature three games, including a rematch between the 2017 WNBA Finals teams when the Minnesota Lynx and Los Angeles Sparks meet on Thursday, Aug. 2 at 10 p.m. ET to tip off Breast Health Awareness Week.  On Sunday, Aug. 19, ESPN2 will showcase the Lynx hosting the Washington Mystics at 7 p.m. ET to conclude the regular season.

During the month, fans can also see highlights of the extensive training and nutrition regimens of WNBA players, learn important health and wellness tips from community experts, and check out additional events for WNBA FIT Month and Breast Health Awareness on WNBA and NBA Cares social and digital platforms.  To learn more about WNBA FIT Month, please visit http://cares.wnba.com/wnbafit.

The 2018 WNBA regular season runs through Aug. 19. For more information on the WNBA and game tickets, fans may visit www.wnba.com.

About Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve more than 12 million members in eight states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. For more information, go to: kp.org/share.

About Bright Pink
Bright Pink is a national non profit focused on the prevention of breast and ovarian cancer. The organization’s mission is to save women’s lives from breast and ovarian cancer by empowering them to live proactively at a young age. Bright Pink’s innovative programs motivated women to prioritize prevention, help women assess their risk for breast and ovarian cancer, equip women with personalized risk-management recommendations, and empower women to manage their health proactively in partnership with a healthcare provider. Since 2007, Bright Pink has inspired over a million women to be their own best health advocates. Join us in putting Awareness In Action™ at BrightPink.org

About the WNBA
The WNBA – which features 12 teams and is the most successful women’s professional team sports league in the world – is a unique global sports property combining competition, sportsmanship, and entertainment value with its status as an icon for social change, achievement, and diversity.  The league, which counts Verizon as its leaguewide marquee partner, tipped off its 22^nd season on May 18, 2018. 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 programs that promote a healthy lifestyle and positive body image, increase breast and women’s health awareness, support youth and family development, and focus on education.  For more information about the WNBA, visit www.WNBA.com.