When Val Ackerman became the WNBA’s first president on August 7, 1996, her goal was to build a credible, sustainable league for female basketball stars. Three presidents and one commissioner have followed since, and the league is bigger than ever. As the WNBA celebrates its 30th anniversary, the Indiana Fever are set to honor one of the key figures behind that growth. Their matchup against the Los Angeles Sparks on Saturday will carry significance beyond the action on the court, as Ackerman is set to be recognized for her role in helping establish the league.

Indiana Fever guard Lexie Hull shared the announcement on her official X page on Tuesday. Her exact post read: “This year’s recipient of the Lin Dunn Inspiring Women Award is founding WNBA President Val Ackerman.

“Val will be recognized at halftime of Saturday’s Inspiring Women Night presented by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and will be joined by Fever legend Tamika Catchings for a special on-court interview honoring the WNBA’s 30th anniversary season.” 

This will be part of the Fever’s Inspiring Women Night, an annual event hosted by the organization to honor female trailblazers in the sport. Ackerman will be brought onto the court and officially recognized as this year’s recipient of the Lin Dunn Inspiring Women Award. Fever legend Catchings, who spent 15 years with the franchise and helped lead it to the 2012 WNBA championship, will also join Ackerman for a short on-court interview in front of the crowd. 

Ackerman is one of the primary architects of modern women’s professional basketball. She was the founding president of the WNBA from 1996 to 2005. 

Val Ackerman helped build the foundation of the WNBA. Through initiatives like the “We Got Next” campaign and the league’s early expansion, she showed that women’s professional basketball could succeed for the long term. Her leadership helped the WNBA find its feet in professional sports in America in its early years and establish partnerships and systems that still support the league today. Most notably, she helped secure the WNBA’s first national TV deals with NBC, ESPN, and Lifetime, giving the league a major platform and helping it reach a wider audience. 

The league has grown from eight teams in 1997 to 15 today, with three more set to join in the coming years, and Ackerman’s work played a major role in making that possible. 

She was also the first female president of USA Basketball. From 2005 to 2008, during which she served in that position, she oversaw two gold-medal victories, an overall competitive record of 222 wins and 23 losses, and served two terms as a U.S. representative to FIBA.

Ackerman is also currently serving as commissioner of the Big East Conference. She started serving in that role in 2013 and has now slated her retirement for August 31, 2026.

The Lin Dunn Inspiring Women Award, which Ackerman will receive on Saturday, is a recognition of all these services, impact, and achievements that she has had over the years. It is a fitting tribute to a figure whose work helped lay the foundation for the WNBA’s growth and long-term success.

What Is the Lin Dunn Inspiring Women Award?

The Lin Dunn Inspiring Women Award is an annual honor that the Indiana Fever presents to recognize individuals who demonstrate outstanding leadership, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to uplifting others in women’s sports and communities. And that, Ackerman, has done quite clearly through her long-standing impact on basketball.

The Indiana Fever created this award in August 2025, naming it after Basketball Hall of Fame coach Lin Dunn, who currently serves as the team’s Senior Advisor. She was also chosen as the inaugural recipient because of her achievements with the franchise, along with her lifelong advocacy for women’s basketball. The award was originally introduced as the “Inspiring Women Award” before being renamed in Dunn’s honor following her selection as its first recipient.

Dunn holds quite an important place in Indiana Fever history. She led the franchise to its WNBA championship in 2012, which remains the only one the Fever has won. She is also the winningest coach in franchise history, with a total of 135 regular-season wins and 23 postseason victories.

Notably, Dunn also served as the Fever’s general manager. In fact, she was responsible for drafting core players like Hull, Aliyah Boston, and Caitlin Clark, who has gone on to become one of the most popular players in the WNBA and has brought millions of eyeballs to the Fever. That further strengthens her legacy within the franchise, which is why this award carries such significance.

It’s not just a general honor. It’s a tribute to one of the most influential figures in Indiana Fever history.