Val Ackerman

Val Ackerman

Valerie B. "Val" Ackerman was born on November 7, 1959 in Lakewood Township, New Jersey but grew up in Pennington, New Jersey, United States. She is an attorney, sports executive, and former basketball player. She is best known for being the first president of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), serving from 1996-2005.

Ackerman graduated in 1977 from Hopewell Valley Central High School in Hopewell Township, Mercer County, New Jersey. Ackerman's 1,755 points set the school's varsity basketball career record for points scored by any basketball player, male or female, and she set the school's career scoring record as a halfback in field hockey, topped off by graduating first in her class. She was inducted into the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Hall of Fame in 1997.