WNBA ISN'T EXACTLY TELLING ABL PLAYERS TO JOIN IN

          WNBA Mercury F Umeki Webb said that having the "doors
     thrown open" to all former ABL players is "not good for the
     people in the WNBA," according to Jeff Metcalfe of the
     ARIZONA REPUBLIC.  Webb: "There has to be some boundary
     where people who started the league and stuck with it should
     be rewarded for it."  Bruce Levy Associates VP/Business
     Affairs Evan Korth, whose agency reps the most WNBA players,
     said that the issue is "really important" to his players.
     Korth: "My understanding is there are certain categories
     you're not allowed to discriminate against (age, race), but
     you can on other things."  Metcalfe writes that the WNBA
     thinks that limiting the number of ABL players to two per
     team "would stand up in court."  Meanwhile, Mercury coach
     Cheryl Miller wants "no limit on the number of ABL players
     allowed" into the league this season, a position that she
     "admits ... is not popular among WNBA players."  Miller: "I
     want the best players possible" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 2/24).