Donna Orender named WNBA commissioner

NEW YORK, Feb. 15 (UPI) -- Donna Orender, a former all-American player and a longtime PGA Tour executive, has been named commissioner of the WNBA, the league announced Tuesday.

Orender moves into the new job in April. She succeeds Val Ackerman, the league's founding president who retired in October after eight seasons in the post.

"Our search for a candidate to follow and capitalize on Val Ackerman's extraordinary tenure quickly focused on Donna," said NBA Commissioner David Stern.

Orender worked with the golf tour for 17 years, most recently as its senior vice president. She was an all-American player at Queens College of New York.