Browse archives: 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997 | 1996 | 1995

Published on 10/02/1995 All articles from this issue

Local women's basketball fans score with pro league

printer friendly version

Town Crier Staff Report

A trio of local residents is getting into the basketball business. Women's professional hoops, that is.

Helping tip off the new American Basketball League (ABL) - which begins its inaugural season in October of 1996 - are former Silicon Valley executive Steve Hams of Mountain View, former Stanford Associate Athletic Director Gary Cavalli of Los Altos and former United States Olympic swimming gold medalist Anne Cribbs of Palo Alto. Three other prominent businessmen and educators complete the founding group.

The start-up league, which has secured nearly $4 million in capitalization from investors, a national television agreement and a number of major corporate sponsorships, will be headquartered in San Jose, also the home of an ABL team.

The ABL will initially consist of 12 teams divided into three four-team divisions. Each team, consisting of 10 active members, will play a 42-game season, followed by the playoffs in late February and early March.

Nine former college stars, and members of the U.S. National Women's team, have already signed agreements to play in the ABL. They are Sheryl Swoopes (Texas Tech), Jennifer Azzi (Stanford), Teresa Edwards (University of Georgia), Lisa Leslie (USC), Dawn Staley (Virginia), Nikki McCray (Tennessee), Carla McGhee (Tennessee), Ruthie Bolton (Auburn) and Katy Steding (Stanford).

The ABL's mission is to showcase the finest players in the world, be profitable and provide exciting family entertainment for women's basketball fans. According to the National Federation of High School Sports, basketball is the No. 1 participation sport among girls in America today.

"Year after year, the top women basketball players in America have faced the sad reality of not having a viable women's pro league in the United States. It's tragic that, after finishing college, they've had to leave this country to go overseas to play," said Hams, the ABL's principal founder. "It's time to bring them home."