The WNBA's Operating Committee has voted to add two
expansion teams -- to be operated by the T'Wolves and the
Magic -- to the WNBA for the '99 season, bringing the number
of teams in the league to 12. The new teams will be granted
upon the condition that they each secure pledges for at
least 5,000 season tickets prior to September 1 (WNBA). WNBA
President Val Ackerman, on the two new franchises: "They've
shown the right level of commitment. They're both well-run
organizations, and it hasn't been that long since they came
into the NBA as expansion teams. So in some respects, they
both know the drill." In Orlando, L.C. Johnson reports that
the Magic is considering Illusion and Dazzle as possible
nicknames. The average ticket price for the team will be
about $15, with the low price of $8 (ORLANDO SENTINEL,4/23).
SHE-WOLVES: T'Wolves Exec VP Roger Griffith is
"expected to direct" that team's WNBA operations (John
Millea, Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 4/23). In St. Paul, Jim
McCartney writes that "If the response to the WNBA's
inaugural season is any indication, the WNBA should do just
fine in the Twin Cities, despite an abundance" of pro and
major college sports (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 4/23).
