ABL Commissioner Gary Cavalli "has seen the monster,
and it doesn't scare him," according to Ann Killion of the
SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS. Cavalli: "[T]he two leagues are
actually helping each other. ... it's very good for
women's professional basketball." On the WNBA: "They've
done a good job of marketing and creating awareness.
They've brought a lot of new people to the sport." But
Cavalli maintains that he is "more convinced than ever that
the ABL is doing the right thing." Cavalli: "You don't need
funny-colored balls. It shouldn't be played in a time
that's convenient because the boys aren't using the gym."
Killion concluded: "Eventually, this isn't going to work,
despite Cavalli's optimism. Eventually, with expansion, the
talent will be thin. ... [T]he novelty will wear off and the
exposure will drop. Eventually, there must be one league.
But for now, David is reloading his slingshot. Goliath
hasn't triumphed yet" (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 8/18).
SEE YOU IN ST. LOUIS? Jackie Joyner-Kersee and her
husband, Bob, "are talking to" ABL officials about bringing
a team to St. Louis, according to Margie Manning of the ST.
LOUIS BUSINESS JOURNAL. But "one obstacle" would be finding
an arena, as the team "probably wouldn't play" at the Kiel
Center, which would be used by the Blues and the local
university (ST. LOUIS BUSINESS JOURNAL, 8/18).
