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Going strong Entering Y2K the WNBA appears to be here to stay
Posted: Tuesday December 21, 1999 11:12 AM
JERSEY CITY, New Jersey (Ticker) -- Women who play basketball have always wanted a league of their own and in 1999 the WNBA was the only one remaining. Although there was never a bitter feud, the WNBA and ABL were fledgling leagues competing against each other to keep talent in America instead of overseas. That war ended on December 22, 1998 when the ABL folded amid poor attendance and shoddy marketing, leaving the WNBA the entire stage. In establishing itself, however, the WNBA had gone for a bit more style than substance. The belief always had been that for all of its shortcomings, the ABL had the deeper talent pool. After some union issues were ironed out, talk centered around how former ABL players would fare in the WNBA. Yolanda Griffith provided an emphatic answer. She blossomed with the Sacramento Monarchs, averaging 18.8 points and leading the league with 11.9 rebounds. The 6-3 forward finished with a league-high 17 double-doubles and was named Most Valuable Player, Newcomer of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. Griffith probably best displayed her worth by not playing. Torn knee cartilage forced her to miss the final four games of the season, including a playoff contest, and Sacramento went 0-4. ABL veterans Natalie Williams of the Utah Starzz, Shannon Johnson of the Orlando Miracle and Dawn Staley of the Charlotte Sting also made immediate impacts in their first WNBA season, leading their teams in scoring.
Comets dominateAlthough the season started with a new topic, it ended in similar fashion to the first two campaigns -- with the Houston Comets asserting their dominance. Despite the leaguewide influx of new players, the Comets seemed destined to coast to their third title. They had given the WNBA what every fledgling league needs, a dynasty for others to try to topple. But the Comets and the entire league were stunned in February when point guard Kim Perrot, a non-smoker, was diagnosed with lung cancer that spread to her brain. She went to Mexico for alternative treatment, but her condition worsened and she died on August 19 at age 32. Her death brought the team and the city of Houston together as the Comets rolled to a 26-6 record and advanced to the WNBA Finals against the New York Liberty. Houston cruised to a Game One victory in the best-of-three series and held an 18-point at home in Game Two. A victory seemed imminent, but no one told New York. The Liberty roared back and produced the league's greatest moment when Teresa Weatherspoon, one of the WNBA's most enthusiastic players, sank a half-court prayer at the buzzer to force an ultimate third game. Weatherspoon's shot came as Comets players were celebrating and confetti had been released from the ceiling of the Compaq Center. It was one of 1999's great moments in sports and observers were hard-pressed to remember a more dramatic ending to any postseason sporting event. However, the shot only postponed the inevitable as the Comets held the Liberty to a franchise low in points and were never threatened in a 59-47 Game Three triumph as they dedicated the title to Perrot.
Cooper's leagueCynthia Cooper, Perrot's best friend, re-affirmed her status as the Michael Jordan of the WNBA as the three-time finals MVP averaged 20.3 points in the playoffs and was the emotional force behind Houston's championship push. The title culminated a rollercoaster year for Cooper, who also lost her mother to cancer. Although not initially anointed by the league's marketing strategy, the WNBA is Cooper's league. She has scored in double figures in all of Houston's 103 games, been named MVP twice and has inspired a new generation of women's basketball players. Cooper's success is refreshing considering she was not one of the more publicized players when the league started in 1997. The WNBA heavily promoted Houston's Sheryl Swoopes, New York's Rebecca Lobo and Los Angeles' Lisa Leslie, who were more established and recognizable.
NBA backingThe publicity of these players was something the WNBA had to do to help build a foundation for the future. But its success has stemmed from working with the NBA and using its marketing tools to assist in promoting the league. The WNBA's prosperity makes this women's basketball greatest highlight of the 1990s. After many other leagues have come and gone, the WNBA did not get in over its head when it looked toward the future and has reached out to its youngest fans. In contrast, you can pinpoint the demise of the ABL as the sport's low point. The WNBA's massive marketing machine certainly had something to do with that, but the ABL proved all by itself once again that an infant league experiences many problems too tough to overcome without outside help. In a way, this has been a good thing because the WNBA looked at the ABL's failures and is learning from them. The WNBA knows that fans are always the top priority and no amount of marketing is enough. With the NBA by its side, exciting new talent like Chamique Holdsclaw of the Washington Mystics and four new expansion teams entering next year, the WNBA is here to stay and will not end up like the rest. Holdsclaw became the WNBA's first truly coveted draft pick, a young player who could change a team's fortunes by herself. Unlike many WNBA players who played professionally abroad, she cultivated her skills in the college game, which gave us two stories that cannot be forgotten.
The Tennessee connectionWith the help of players such as Holdsclaw, coach Pat Summitt has built a dynasty at the University of Tennessee and on December 5 joined Jody Conradt of Texas as the only women with 700 collegiate victories. However, her most impressive win is not on that list. In an exhibition against the United States National Team on November 7, the Lady Vols closed the game with a 22-11 run and notched a 65-64 upset. Summitt's success has brought many offers to coach in the WNBA, but she has always maintained she enjoys working with younger players and watching them grow up. Her knowledge, ability to teach and instill confidence is almost as remarkable as the school's six national championships. Just because there is a professional league does not mean that is the paramount for every coach and Summitt is proving that. What she has built at Tennessee has set the bar high for the rest of the Southeastern Conference and the entire sport.
Another pipelineThe Big Ten Conference has never been regarded as the most powerful league in women's basketball, even when Ohio State and Iowa went to the 1993 Final Four. Despite sending many teams to the NCAA Tournament, the league rarely made a serious impact despite the presence of big-name schools. That changed last season when Purdue dominated from the start and, with the help of a few upsets, defeated Duke for its first national championship. Penn State, Illinois and Wisconsin also had big seasons as the league is ready to continue making an impact in the future. Carolyn Peck, the Boilermakers' third coach in four seasons, left afterward to coach in the WNBA and has since been joined by former Purdue coaches Lin Dunn and Nell Fortner. The ascent of Holdsclaw and Peck from the college ranks to the WNBA has established the pipeline that is a necessity in major men's sports. The same link between the college and pro game has put women's basketball among the big boys of the NBA and NFL in at least one regard. Women's basketball is no longer in its infancy and the WNBA is no longer a novelty. Now a part of the sports landscape, the only way to increase success is through dedicated efforts to keep fans involved and attract new ones along the way.
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