WNBA GROWS BY FOUR TEAMS.Byline: Associated Press Associated Press: see news agency. Associated Press (AP) Cooperative news agency, the oldest and largest in the U.S. and long the largest in the world. The WNBA WNBA Women's National Basketball Association WNBA World Ninepin Bowling Association WNBA Wannabe Nasty Boys Association WNBA Women's National Book Association, Inc. WNBA Warszawski Nurt Basketu Amatorskiego is growing up fast. Set to enter its third season this week, the women's basketball Women's basketball is one of the few games which developed in tandem with men's. It became popular, spreading from the east coast of the United States to the west coast, in large part via women's colleges. league Monday added four teams that will begin play in 2000 - Miami, Seattle, Indianapolis and Portland, Ore. The expansion, yet another step up for a league backed by the NBA's money and marketing savvy, comes six months after the rival American Basketball League American Basketball League is a name that has been used by three defunct basketball leagues in the United States:
The organization was dissolved in 1973. in the country. ``We had not anticipated expanding this quickly,'' WNBA president Val Ackerman Valerie B. "Val" Ackerman was born on November 7, 1959 in New York City[1] but grew up in nearby Pennington, New Jersey, United States. She is an attorney, sports executive, and former basketball player. said. ``But the combination of the success of the league in the first two seasons and the strong interest expressed by NBA NBA abbr. 1. National Basketball Association 2. National Boxing Association NBA (US) n abbr (= National Basketball Association) → Basketball-Dachverband (= owners has convinced us that the time is right.'' The additions will bring the league to 16 teams, double the number from the first season. Ackerman would not disclose the cost of the new franchises. The 12-team WNBA opens its season Thursday night, with new teams in Minnesota and Orlando. The league added teams in Detroit and Washington last season. ``It does something for the city of Indianapolis and the state of Indiana,'' Pacers president Donnie Walsh said. ``And it legitimizes the WNBA because, how could you have a league and we're not in it in women's basketball?'' Purdue, in West Lafayette, Ind., won the women's NCAA basketball championship and its coach, Carolyn Peck, left to coach the Orlando Miracle in the WNBA. Ackerman said no target date had been set for further expansion, but she indicated more than four cities expressed interest for 2000. ``The challenge now is to roll out new teams for the future,'' Ackerman said, adding that the WNBA would award franchises only to NBA cities. ``It makes no sense to go to places where there is no NBA infrastructure.'' Before getting final approval, the four expansion teams must sell at least 5,500 season tickets by Oct. 15. Two of the new teams will play in new arenas - Indianapolis in the Canseco Field House, which opens in November, and Miami in the American Airlines Arena, which opens Dec. 31. Under the alignment plan next year, Indiana and Miami will be in the Eastern Conference, along with Charlotte, Cleveland, Detroit, New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of , Orlando and Washington. Portland and Seattle will play in the Western Conference with Houston, Los Angeles, Minnesota, Phoenix, Sacramento and Utah. CAPTION(S): Photo PHOTO With the popularity of players like Chamique Holdsclaw, the WNBA was able to expand again. Doug Mills/Associated Press |
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