WNBA: A Flagship Franchise Folds
Written by Daniel Turner, Friday December 12 2008
On December 2, with very little fanfare, the Houston Comets ceased operations in the WNBA. The team that won three consecutive titles in the league’s inaugural years and set the standard for franchise play went under with no one offering assistance.
There is no question that finances will have a huge impact on sport, but no attempt was made to keep the most powerful team in the WNBA alive. Yes, the Comets had slipped from their halcyon days, but they were the first and only dynasty the league had to offer. Cynthia Cooper, who along with Sheryl Swoopes and Tina Thompson formed the core of the Comets Championship teams, was dismayed and hurt by what she perceived as abandonment of the Comets. As she stated, if it had been the Lakers or the Celtics, this would not have happened.
It is hard to argue with her. If this wasn’t a women’s team that was folding one has to believe that aid would have been rendered. Instead, all that remains is a web page thanking the Comets fans for their support and offering a photo gallery of their past glories.
The biggest concern now is what it spells for the league in general. WNBA President Donna Orender insists the league is sound and that with the infusion of last year’s bumper crop of rookies the future is bright. She even leaves the door open for a return to Houston for the league.
The economy will continue to plague sports for some time and the WNBA is open to its effect. The Seattle Storm is the only team left playing in the Key Arena. The Sonics underwent a name change and split to Oklahoma City, while the Seattle Thunderbirds, a WHL franchise, built a smaller arena in Renton, WA that is better suited for the junior league franchise.
This leaves the Storm to hold down the escalating cost on the fort with a 17 home game regular season schedule. It does not take a pessimist to believe that their future could be in doubt. As for the other teams in the league, many of them are no longer owned by the NBA team with which they share an arena. The Connecticut Sun is another stand alone franchise, but they have the backing of the Mohegan Sun.
The affordable ticket prices are in the league’s favor, but the loss of a high profile franchise does not bode well for future investment and expansion is not in the immediate future. Salaries are not astronomical, but contracts will probably not be growing.
I know we are all becoming wearied by talks of bail out, but some effort should have been made to keep this franchise in operation. Teams and players have shown great flexibility in the WNBA. Everyone is concerned with the image of the league. When games end it is not uncommon for players to stick around and greet fans. I’m not talking that brief period when a sideline reporter sticks a mic in the top scorers face and asks how she feels about the win. I mean they hang around when there are no more cameras and microphones. A league built on love turned a cold shoulder to one of its first born. I join Cynthia Cooper in feeling something should have been done.
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