WNBA Play Enhanced by ABL Players

At the WNBA All-Star break, it’s time to inspect returns from the May 4 draft, which brought 35 refugees from the defunct American Basketball League into the WNBA.

First, the WNBA is unmistakably enriched by the ABL players. The games are better, faster and more intense than in the league’s first two seasons.

And did we say more physical? The added talent has at times meant combat basketball under the baskets, where the likes of Yolanda Griffith, Natalie Williams and DeLisha Milton have helped make WNBA ball a contact sport.

Of the 12-team WNBA’s 132 players, 35 former ABL players came in directly from the draft. A maximum of 40 was in place for the last draft, but there will be no restrictions next year on ABL players, when most of those not drafted will come into the league.

Most of the ABL talent was at guard, where five former ABL players rank in the top 10 in assists. Andrea Nagy (Washington), Shannon Johnson (Orlando), Dawn Staley (Charlotte), Debbie Black (Utah) and Sonja Tate (Minnesota) rank third, fifth (Johnson and Staley are tied at 5.4 a game), seventh and 10th, respectively.

Black leads the WNBA in steals at 2.75 and four other former ABL players are in the top 10. Six of the 10 best three-point shooters are ABL draftees.

WNBA veteran Cynthia Cooper of Houston leads the league in scoring (22.3), but Williams (Utah) and Griffith (Sacramento) are second and third.

Griffith and Williams are 1-2 in rebounds and two other former ABL players, Taj McWilliams and Val Whiting, are seventh and ninth. Griffith and Williams are also 1-2 in double-doubles.

ABL graduates occupy four of the top five spots in assists-to-turnovers average, led by Staley’s 2.50.

If the ABL players, as a group, have a trademark, it’s the defensive intensity they’ve brought to the WNBA.

Recent example: When Phoenix played at Los Angeles on Sunday, the Mercury’s Jennifer Gillom came in averaging 16.4 points. The Sparks’ DeLisha Milton held her to 11, five in the first half.

CHAMPIONSHIP FEVER

Could a world championship of women’s basketball do for the women’s game in the United States what the Women’s World Cup did for U.S. women’s soccer?

“We’ve talked about that,” said Carol Callan, who runs the women’s programs for USA Basketball.

“Indianapolis got the men’s world championships for 2002, so after that we’ll take a look at it. It would have to be a city bidding for the event, and then we’d work with them. Or it could be a group of cities.”

How about these WNBA cities as hosts: Washington (14,858 average attendance), New York (12,782), Phoenix (12,462) and Houston (11,282).

AROUND THE LEAGUE

Spark players knew Monday’s practice at L.A. Southwest College was to be brief, they just didn’t know how brief. As the players finished their routine stretching work, Orlando Woolridge said: “OK, if anyone can make a half-court shot, practice is over.” First to volunteer was guard Ukari Figgs. Swish. A celebration ensued, as if they had won a championship, then it was a stampede to their cars. . . . The emergence of the Sparks’ two Yugoslav players, 5-foot-7 guard Gordana Grubin and 6-6 center/forward Nina Bjedov, as productive WNBA players probably means there are plenty of talented players in Europe that WNBA coaches don’t yet know about. An Italian agent, Paolo Ronci, represents Grubin and Bjedov. Woolridge discovered Grubin on a European trip last off-season while serving as an assistant coach with the U.S. national team. Shortly after the Sparks acquired Grubin, Woolridge called Ronci and asked him, “Do you have a 6-5 forward who can shoot with range?” When Ronci told him about Bjedov, Woolridge asked for a video. He saw it, called Ronci immediately and within days Bjedov was a Spark. And so is Ronci. He’s scouring Europe, seeking players who would like to spend the summer of 2000 in Los Angeles. . . . The Sunday firing of Marynell Meadors as coach of the Charlotte Sting means five of the original eight WNBA coaches from 1997 have been dismissed. One, Nancy Darsch, fired in New York after last season, was later hired by Washington. And the rumor mill has it two other coaches are on the hot seat--Cleveland’s Linda Hill-MacDonald and Phoenix’ Cheryl Miller. If they are fired, that would leave Houston’s Van Chancellor the sole survivor from 1997. . . . Chancellor made some roster moves Monday. After announcing ex-USC center Monica Lamb is sidelined for the season because of an eye injury, the Comets announced the signing of 6-3 Mila Nikolich, a 13-year Israeli pro who won three most valuable player awards in Israel. Houston also traded little-used Nyree Roberts to Washington for Brazilian Alessandra Santos De Oliveira, an international star but a WNBA bust who was promptly waived.