Green’s ABA career ends with invite to Sparks camp

Kristen Green, a former UC Irvine women’s basketball standout, has left the Orange County Gladiators after two games in the men’s American Basketball Assn., the Gladiators announced late Monday.

Green will concentrate on preparing for training camp for the Los Angeles Sparks, after earning an invitation from Sparks Coach Michael Cooper.

Green, a 5-foot-9 guard, scored two points in her ABA debut, Jan. 6, when she played eight minutes, 22 seconds against the San Diego Wildcats.

In her only other ABA appearance, Jan. 9 at the Maywood (Calif.) Buzz, she made eight of 10 field-goal attempts, including seven three-pointers, en route to 25 points.

Green, a second-team All-Big West Conference performer as a senior at UCI, played three seasons overseas in women’s professional leagues after graduating from UCI in 2004.

She signed with the Gladiators, whose coach, Tony Farmer, is also her agent, with hopes of generating interest from a WNBA franchise, or another women’s pro league overseas.

Farmer arranged the tryout with Cooper and Green was impressive enough to earn an invite to training camp, during which the team will prepare for its May 17 season opener.

Green was at least the third woman to play in an ABA game.

— Barry Faulkner