Orlando Miracle Moving to Connecticut

[HuskerFan86]

Nykesha Sales is back in Huskyland..

[Press]

Talk about instant attendance! This is good news for the WNBA. I think they will have to continue to put these teams in areas where the attendance will be there.

[carolann]

Will the team play this summer?

Is there a media link?

I'm really happy about this. Now only 2 WNBA teams are w/o homes - the Sol and the Fire.

[swok34]

http://espn.go.com/wnba/news/2003/0123/1497640.html

Sounds like all the i's aren't dotted and the t's not crossed...
but it does sound like they will play this summer once all the "negotiations are worked out".

[ChipperF1]

Enough i's are dotted and t's are crossed to were they are taking season ticket deposits http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/smile.gif

Betta hurry up, see I GOT MINE

How 'bout that Nutmeg State Miracle!

[HuskerFan86]

Have they decided if the team will play in Hartford or at the Mohegan casino arena?

This is great news for the WNBA and womens basketball as a whole. Can you imagine the crowds when Sue Bird and Seattle or Swin Cash and Detroit come to town?

[PeachBasket]

The Mohegans were able to offer a much more solid package and won the rights to the Connecticut franchise. The best Hartford proposal came from a parking lot operator and was patched together at the last minute. Ownership of their own arena certainly gave the Mohegans a huge advantage. For PR purposes, it appears that the tribe will have 1-3 games a year in Hartford. Team name? What else, the Mohegan Suns.

While Connecticut wbb fans are of course excited about the Suns, at this point there is just as much buzz about the NWBL "winter league" entry the Springfield Spirit. This year the Spirit will split its home games between the Mohegan and the Springfield (MA) Civic Center. Attendance for the Spirit was so good last year, that for this season the league has deliberately skewed their schedule, giving them 17 home games and only 6 road games. Attendance for the Spirit figures to be even better this year. Last year's Spirit squad featured UConn alums Rebecca Lobo, Kara Wolters and Rita Williams, and that core returns, this year joined by Sue Bird and Swin Cash. (Shea Ralph is an assistant coach and community relations director.) What UConn fan can say no to available tickets for a lineup of Sue, Swin, Becca, Kara and Rita?

As Press suggested above for the WNBA, the NWBL has learned the lesson of putting franchises where there is a built-in fan base. Springfield is being joined by a new Knoxville franchise, that is to include Michelle Marciniak and several other ex-Lady Vols. Methinks Springfield-Knoxville games should be ready sellouts for either host team.

[ChipperF1]

"the Mohegan Suns.

NBA Bylaws prohibit the use of a corporate name within the franchise title. The same rule was used against the Memphis Grizzlies who had planned to change their nickname to the Memphis Express in direct homage to Memphis-based Federal Express, who owns a part of the franchise.

The NBA would certainly block the same usage in this case considering also that it is a gambling establishment. The team will most likely be named to the "Hartford _________" something which goes more inline with what the league wanted when it originally sought after putting a team in that market. Mohegan was truly the league's second choice however, the tribe came ready to play whereas questions surrounding the Hartford-based consortiums and how amicable relations with MSG would work out (MSG owns both the Liberty and Hartford Civic Center, and could not have a direct role in two franchises in the same league.)

In any case. I cannot wait to see the team come summer, nor the Springfield Spirit this February and March http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/smile.gif

As for a Tennessee-based franchise? Memphis had a team in the ABL, it was about as successful as Lamar Alexander's presidential bid. If the WNBA want to find new homes for the other two teams, it would have helped of Clyde Drexler's bid for the Fire wasn't denied.

I'm surprised the league doesn't look at San Francisco or San Jose as a good location. Excellent womens basketball area, a lot market and potential there.

I'd also consider Central or Eastern Iowa (a return of the old Cornets?), Kansas City, Dallas, (Mark Cuban says he'd want the WNBA.)