Lisa M. Borders, a Coca-Cola executive and former president of the Atlanta City Council, was named president of the W.N.B.A. on Wednesday as the league prepares to start its 20th season in May.
Despite a rising quality of play, the league faces falling attendance that hit an all-time low last season and declining regular-season viewership on ESPN.
Adam Silver, the N.B.A. commissioner, voiced concerns late last season about the direction of the W.N.B.A., particularly its marketing, telling a Sports Business Journal conference: “We thought it would have broken through by now.” In a recent interview with The New York Times, he said, “I think there is a sense that we haven’t done enough collectively to promote the league.