From Courts to Communities: WNBA Lessons for Senior Living

What the WNBA Can Teach Senior Living About Overcoming Ageism

Why Senior Living Needs Its WNBA Moment

When the 2023 WNBA Finals set record-breaking TV ratings and sold-out arenas, headlines framed it as a breakthrough — as if the league had suddenly “arrived.”

But overnight success is a myth. The WNBA’s cultural legitimacy is the result of more than a century of incremental progress—from women playing in church gyms to Title IX unlocking opportunity, to the NBA’s backing in 1997, and finally to mainstream sponsorships and cultural relevance in the 2020s.

The WNBA’s journey mirrors senior living’s own fight against ageism — and offers powerful lessons for reshaping perceptions today.

The Long Game: WNBA’s 130-Year Path to Legitimacy

Women first played basketball at Smith College in 1892, just a year after the sport’s invention (Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame). For decades, the game was marginalized—played with altered rules to “protect femininity,” largely ignored by the public, and underfunded at every level.

Key milestones tell the story:

1936: First women’s national basketball tournament.
1972: Title IX passes, forcing schools to provide equal opportunities in athletics.
1976: Women’s basketball debuts in the Olympics, giving global legitimacy.
1982: NCAA begins sponsoring women’s championship.
1997: WNBA launches with NBA backing, securing broadcast deals and professional pathways.

Progress remained fragile. Early leagues folded. Attendance lagged. Media coverage was dismissive. But in the last decade, stars like Sue Bird, Candace Parker, Maya Moore, A’ja Wilson, Caitlin Clark, and Angel Reese have turned women’s basketball into cultural currency. Their rivalries, leadership, and visibility fueled record-breaking viewership and corporate sponsorships..

And in 2020, the league doubled down on its identity as a social justice platform during the “Wubble” season, aligning with equity movements. That cultural alignment changed everything.

The Senior Living Journey: From Almshouses to Lifestyle Communities

Senior living has its own long arc of progress:

1800s–Early 1900s: Older adults without family support were placed in almshouses or charity homes, run by religious or civic groups.
1935: The Social Security Act provided income security but excluded almshouses, shifting the model toward private-sector homes.
1950s: The Hill–Burton Act funded nursing home construction, fueling growth but entrenching an institutional model.
1965: Medicare and Medicaid cemented nursing homes as the default, but neglect scandals in the 1970s damaged reputation.
1980s: Assisted living emerged in Oregon, reframing senior care around independence and dignity.
1990s–2000s: Expansion into independent living, CCRCs, and memory care, alongside new REIT investment.
2020s: COVID-19 reshaped perceptions, exposing vulnerabilities but fueling demand for wellness, purpose, and intergenerational connection.

Like women’s basketball before its breakthrough, senior living has evolved dramatically, but public perception hasn’t caught up. Too often, communities are reduced to outdated nursing home stereotypes.

The State of the Union: How Senior Living Is Viewed Today

Positive Associations

Safety, medical oversight, and social opportunities.
Lifestyle-forward options like wellness, dining, and intergenerational programs.
Recognition of choice beyond traditional nursing homes.

Persistent Negative Perceptions

Institutional stigma: Lingering association with sterile, low-quality nursing homes.
Loss of independence: Still framed as “being put away.”
Affordability concerns: Seen as inaccessible to most families.
COVID residue: Memories of negative headlines about nursing home deaths.
Ageism in culture: Aging too often equated with decline or irrelevance.

This is where the WNBA parallel becomes powerful.

The WNBA Playbook: Five Brand Levers Senior Living Can Pull

Lever	WNBA Playbook	Senior Living Lever
1. Visibility as Legitimacy	ESPN slots, Nike campaigns, primetime visibility proved women’s basketball belonged.	Elevate residents in mainstream media and storytelling. Imagine residents profiled in the New York Times as late-life entrepreneurs or teaming with Peloton and REI to showcase active aging. Aging must be seen to be valued.
2. Storytelling & Hero Narratives	Stars like Candace Parker, Sue Bird, A’ja Wilson, Angel Reese, and Caitlin Clark became cultural icons.	Share resident hero stories—artists, entrepreneurs, activists thriving in later life. Position older adults as innovators and role models, not dependents.
3. Cultural Alignment with Movements	Aligned with gender equity, LGBTQ+ pride, racial justice.	Align aging with equity, inclusion, climate-conscious living, and intergenerational belonging. Make aging a justice issue.
4. Economics as Proof of Value	Packed arenas and jersey sales proved demand.	Showcase the spending power of older adults. Highlight communities as engines of jobs, healthcare, and economic vitality.
5. Community as Movement	WNBA fans built a loyal, values-driven tribe.	Create intergenerational networks, alumni groups, and family “fan bases.” Position senior living as a movement people want to join, not just a place to live.

Trend Spotlight: Retirement House & the Power of Senior Influencers

One of today’s most exciting cultural shifts is Retirement House — a collective of older adults who create viral content on Instagram and TikTok. Their skits, humor, and lifestyle videos showcase seniors as creative, stylish, and socially engaged. They’ve been featured on Good Morning America, proving there’s an appetite for fresh narratives about aging.

Why it matters:

They normalize older adults in fun, modern, visible roles.
They elevate aging stories into mainstream media.
They attract younger audiences, creating intergenerational fan culture.

Brand Lever	How “Retirement House” Helps	What Providers Can Do
Visibility	Retirement House shows up on Instagram + GMA, elevating seniors into the cultural spotlight.	Partner with influencers; share short-form video content of resident life in joyful, unexpected ways.
Storytelling	These seniors aren’t “elder care” — they’re creators and role models.	Feature resident stories of creativity, humor, and resilience.
Cultural Alignment	They embody authenticity, inclusivity, and age positivity.	Tie resident programming to cultural trends and conversations about ageism.
Economics	Retirement House proves older adults can draw massive engagement.	Use this proof point to position communities as hubs of consumer and cultural power.
Community	Fans treat Retirement House like a movement.	Build intergenerational alumni networks and digital “clubs” for residents and families.

A Cultural Tipping Point for Senior Living

The WNBA’s rise shows that representation + persistence + cultural alignment can transform perception. Senior living stands at a similar inflection point:

Demographics: Boomers will soon reshape the 80+ population.
Values: Society increasingly demands inclusion, purpose, and dignity in aging.
Economics: Older adults represent trillions in consumer power.

The question: will senior living providers embrace visibility, storytelling, and cultural alignment — or let ageism continue to define the sector?

Make Your Move

The WNBA flipped the script by proving relevance, values, economic impact, and fan culture. Senior living can do the same — but only if leaders take bold steps now.

ADage Marketing Group has developed a Senior Living Playbook inspired by the WNBA’s trajectory — outlining the brand levers communities can pull to reframe aging as a force for dignity, belonging, and aspiration.

Connect with the all-stars at ADage to explore how your organization can apply these lessons and lead the movement against ageism.

From Courts to Communities 🏀