The WNBA concluded its pre-draft camp in Orlando and
will hold its inaugural draft on Monday. Earlier this week,
Stanford's Jamila Wideman signed to play with the WNBA while
teammate Kate Starbird signed a three-year deal to play with
the ABL's Seattle Reign. ESPN's Keith Olbermann called it
"the first talent war since the USFL went out of business:
the women's NBA versus the ABL." Starbird, on why she chose
the ABL: "They have a year under their belts, they have
pretty good fan support and, also, they just have a lot of
great players, including the majority of the Olympians"
("SportsCenter," 4/22). In KC, Mechelle Voepel, on
Starbird: "For the ABL, it was the equivalent of a big rock
thrown at Goliath, the rival WNBA" (K.C. STAR, 4/23).
KARA PACKAGE: In L.A., Earl Gustkey writes that ABL
sources say the league is "in good shape" to possibly sign
UConn's Kara Wolters. Gustkey: "The war for Wolters'
signature is perhaps the hottest. ... Said one agent, 'the
WNBA has drawn a line in the sand over Wolters -- they'll
sign her no matter what it takes'" (L.A. TIMES, 4/22). In
Richmond, Vic Dorr writes on the leagues' battle for talent
under the header, "The ABL Is Holding Its Own In Battle For
Top Players." Dorr: "ABL officials believe the WNBA may
have committed a public relations blunder when it asked
players who expressed an interest in attending its predraft
camp to sign a sheaf of documents that contained a no-
crossover clause. ... Agents are said to be annoyed with the
WNBA because some players were not informed of the clause's
existence before they signed the document" (RT-D, 4/22).
SI's "Scorecard" writes that despite the corporate
advantages the WNBA holds over the ABL, the ABL "had eight
of the 12 members of the 1996 U.S. Olympic team in its fold.
That's because, for all the talk about the WNBA's deep
pockets, the ABL has shown more willingness to put up cash
now." The ABL's $50,000 minimum salary matches the top
salary the WNBA is paying most of the players it has signed,
with exceptions being Lisa Leslie, Rebecca Lobo and Sheryl
Swoopes (SI, 4/28). In S.F., Bruce Jenkins on the two
leagues: "I'd pay to see Lisa Leslie or Sheryl Swoopes play
basketball, but not in the summertime, and not at the
expense of the hard-working ABL, which doesn't deserve this
brand of competition" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 4/19).
