The WNB-Ays were a
fictional band in an
ESPN advertisement series for the
WNBA in
1998 and
1999.
The schtick was having a decked-out 70s funk band singing songs about women's basketball. As strange as this sounds, the spots worked -- the songs were catchy, and the ads were hilarious.
The ads usually started by showing the WNB-Ays in a white sound stage, playing a song. Their clothes were outrageous -- bell-bottomed suits made of orange-and-white swaths, the same colors as the WNBA's basketballs. Their afros were giant, and their sunglasses were large. The ad would cut back and forth between the band and WNBA footage of whichever teams were meeting in the upcoming ESPN game.
The most-used song, "Monday night" was also the most generic.
Monday night! Monday night!
Orange ... and ... white! On Monday night!
Monday night! Get on tonight!
Make ... it ... right! On Monday night!
(horn solo)
Monday night ...
Occasionally they would perform specially written songs for key games. For instance, in 1998 ESPN knew they would televise the matchup between the defending-champion Houston Comets and the New York Liberty, so the WNB-Ays performed this song, "Rebecca Lobo":
Rebecca Lobo ... a talented girl
And Cynthia Cooper ... did chance a hooper *
A teaspoon full of sugar, a teaspoon full of spice
A teaspoon full of pepper, a game so sweet and nice.
Rebecca Lobo ...
* -- Not sure I heard this correctly.
The ad campaign was a hit in the 1998 season, and the WNB-Ays played live during halftime of that year's WNBA Finals. Footage of that concert was used for ESPN's 1999 ad campaign.
In 2000, ESPN sadly chose another direction for their WNBA advertisements, and the WNB-Ays were finished. Their lone album, named "Overtime," was released in an issue of ESPN the Magazine.
Audio/video of the songs can be found here:
http://www.wnba.com/theater/greatest_hits.html
I heartily recommed that you download them. To tempt your tummy, here's the lyrics of the rest of their songs. Lyrics I'm unsure about have a (?) next to them.
Overtime
When Phoenix meets the Liberty, we got that possibility
Of overtime. What time? Overtime! What time?
When Phoenix meets the Liberty, we got that possibility
Of overtime. What time? Overtime!
<crazy falsetto>Over! Oh ... ver ... time!</crazy falsetto>
Lovely, Lovely Comet
(This one is a slow jam)
This is a comet y'all ...
Lovely, lovely Comet ... shooting through the sky
Way down somewhere Southern ... staying here tonight (?)
Can you STING a Comet? (aaahhh-aaaahhhh)
I don't know but you can try (aaahhh-aaaahhhh)
Can you STING a Comet? (aaahhh-aaaahhhh)
Ohhh, Ohhh...
Playoffs
It's the day of the playoffs!
Wow-wow-wow!
It's the day of the playoffs!
Make your way!
It's the day of the playoffs!
Earn your way!
It's the day of the playoffs!
Thank you we love you!
It's the day of the playoffs!
Earn your way!
Box out
Box out! Box out!
Box out! Box out!
Box out!
We plan on jamming!
New York, New York! You better listen to ...
Box out!
(bass solo)
Box out!
Box out!
Box out!
Three-point bomb
Three-point bomb!
Three ... point ... bomb!
Three-point bomb!
Lisa Leslie, she owns the lane
Cheryl Tiegs, says good day (?)
Three-point bomb!
Three ... point ... bomb!
Three-point bomb!
Starzz come out at night
The Starzz come out at night; the Rockers gonna turn it up.
The Starzz come out at night; the Rockers gonna turn it up.
The Starzz come out at night; the Rockers gonna ...
Mercury is Rising
Mercury is rising, Mercury is rising
Mercury is rising, Mercury-is-rising!
(Can't understand a word they say in the rest of the song)
The WNB-Ays also had an extended drum solo and an extended bass solo, the latter of which caused a "fight" in the band during the advertisement.