Yeah, openly rooting for Portland. Curious to see if an ownership emerges. No, not counting on more than 2 every two years or so, if that.
Only the 2nd. The actual first, not a WNBA team, only died because the rival league did.A 3rd go of it for Portland.
Power were in first place in the Western Conference when the ABL folded -- which the ABL was a superior quality to the WNBA.
The WNBA Fire didn't last long, though Jackie Stiles was fun to watch when she was in college.
Only the 2nd. The actual first, not a WNBA team, only died because the rival league did.
Denver Coliseum it is!Like any other indoor team in Denver, the Kroenkes would likely have to be involved for a WNBA team to succeed here.
We only have a few arenas.
Ball Arena - home of the Colorado Avalanche, Denver Nuggets (NBA), Colorado Mammoth (NLL). All owned by the Kroenke family. The Kroenkes also own the local cable sportsnet (even though only DirecTV and Fubo still carry it) and two local sports radio stations.
1stbank Center - too far out in the suburbs, scheduled to be torn down anyway
Denver Coliseum - seats about 10K but began construction in the 1940s. No air conditioning or heat, not very handicapped accessible, not enough parking, not enough concessions, not enough bathrooms, not in a good neighborhood (surrounding area includes an impound lot and a cemetary). Horrible venue that was considered outdated when McNichols was built in the 70s. Then McNichols was torn down and replaced with Ball Arena over 20 years ago, but the Coliseum still stands.
Magness Arena - Home of the University of Denver Pioneers basketball and hockey teams. Pretty small for a WNBA team, seats only 7200 for basketball. Main issue here is a lack of parking and the fact that events at DU often have ticket prices rivaling Nuggets and Avalanche games at Ball Arena. I just don't see how a WNBA team could afford it.
So yeah, basically if Stan/Ann Walton/Josh Kroenke decide they want a WNBA team, Denver will get one and it will be successful. If they don't I just don't see a path to success.
I have been there probably 30 times for various events, mostly concerts, and I believe the bathrooms were flooded at least 8 or 9 of those times. Maybe more.Denver Coliseum it is!
Didn't the city pass a bond issue to look into replacing the arena on the property back in 2015?I have been there probably 30 times for various events, mostly concerts, and I believe the bathrooms were flooded at least 8 or 9 of those times. Maybe more.
Yeah, it apparently didn't go anywhere. I don't really keep up with local (or any) politics but last I heard the National Western Complex people were asking for money to build an arena nearby and didn't get it either.Didn't the city pass a bond issue to look into replacing the arena on the property back in 2015?
See that, then they could Amtrak it and cut all this chitty chat about flying charter!Combining two topics, if they added four teams and set divisions of four, they could play 4 vs conference, 1 vs non-conference for 36 games... INSTEAD of the current 4 vs 3 teams, 3 vs everyone else; and reduce cross-country travel from nine games to four.
Beat me to it. Charlotte doesn't even support the Hornets all that well currently, I don't think there's anything to indicate that the city would have an overly strong interest in a WNBA team. Take a note from Connecticut and if you put a team in the region put them near USC.If the WNBA really wants a Carolina-based franchise they ought to look at Columbia, SC. Would be a very small market but U of South Carolina has a successful NCAAW program that has (I'm pretty sure) produced several stars of the WNBA.
Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro etc probably wouldn't care all that much. Columbia I think could have a shot at being an intriguing market.
Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro etc probably wouldn't care all that much. Columbia I think could have a shot at being an intriguing market.
Though, it was over a decade and a half ago, but there's nothing new to suggest that Charlotte would all of a sudden be huge supporters of a WNBA team.
there's nothing new to suggest that Charlotte would all of a sudden be huge supporters of a WNBA team.
The WNBA already had a Carolina based team, the Charlotte Sting. They existed for 10 years and were in the bottom half of attendance every year, last in the league in attendance 3x and second-to-last 4x. So 7 of 10 years were worst or second worst in attendance.
With none of the excuses people like to use in similar "no one cares this team exists" situations; like a bad team (they went to the WNBA Finals and playoffs 6 of first 7 seasons) or a bad arena (played in the NBA arena including moving into the brand new NBA arena), etc..
There's a reason they folded.
Though, it was over a decade and a half ago, but there's nothing new to suggest that Charlotte would all of a sudden be huge supporters of a WNBA team.
I think Raleigh would care more than Charlotte. They support the NWSL well and your only other competition are USL's NCFC and the MiLB teams in Durham and Zebulon. CFC has taken a lot of the sports oxygen out of Charlotte and people sleep on the Triangle as a market when there are as many people to go around with less options.
Columbia would be a bit of a gamble and had a very low ceiling.
If MLS is any indication, Charlotte would go whole hog in a heartbeat on the WNBA. Remember, Charlotte had worse USL support than the Triangle and was behind the Triangle in every metric but "willing billionaire with a stadium to use" when it came to MLS.
To be fair though, the only thing that Hornets fans have had to cheer about the last 15+ years was a rebrand. My hunch would be that Charlotte would be a pro basketball hotbed if they merely had routinely decent teams.
If the WNBA really wants a Carolina-based franchise they ought to look at Columbia, SC. Would be a very small market but U of South Carolina has a successful NCAAW program that has (I'm pretty sure) produced several stars of the WNBA.
Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro etc probably wouldn't care all that much. Columbia I think could have a shot at being an intriguing market.