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May 6, 2006 On June 21, 1997, sports in America reached a major milestone, when the New York Liberty tipped off against the Los Angeles Sparks at the Great Western Forum. The Liberty won the game, but in the end, fans of women’s basketball were the ultimate winners. This May marks the beginning of the 10th season of the Women’s National Basketball Association, or WNBA. The league has grown over the years, from the original eight teams that took the floor in 1997 to fourteen teams today. That includes the expansion Chicago Sky, who will officially start play on May 20 with a visit to the Charlotte Sting, one of the WNBA’s charter teams. Women’s professional basketball has created a whole new class of superstars, including Sue Bird, Cynthia Cooper, Lisa Leslie, Andrea Stinson, Sheryl Swoops, and Teresa Weatherspoon. And unlike their male counterparts, women don’t stop playing or coaching when their 34-game season ends. Houston Comets point guard Dawn Staley, for example, has turned Temple into a national women’s basketball power. Charlotte Sting stars Allison Feaster and Tammy Sutton-Brown typically play ball in Europe during the WNBA off-season. But the best thing about women’s basketball is the atmosphere. Because the WNBA plays during the summer, it is not uncommon for entire families to come out to the games. And because the attendance is usually half as much as for an NBA game, only the lower bowls of most arenas, including Charlotte Bobcats Arena, are in use, making for a loud, but cozy, experience. The teams do a great job engaging the fans, and the league as a whole tends to put a high-quality product on the floor every game. The NBA made a smart investment with the WNBA. Exciting game play and good value make WNBA games a great alternative to other forms of entertainment. Later this month, fourteen teams begin the quest for glory as the WNBA’s champion. Only one of them will achieve that goal. But when it happens, it will be yet another milestone for a league celebrating a decade of greatness. ------------ About the author: Claxton Graham has written a number of articles for Useless Knowledge. He works as a business systems analyst. Email: scifiwriter8502@email.com Comment on this article here! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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