COLLEGE BASKETBALL / WOMEN’S FINAL FOUR : U.S. Pro League Is Again Subject of Discussion

Is it too early to imagine that one day sports sections will carry NBA standings for men’s teams . . . and women’s?

“I don’t think it’s a scenario that should be scoffed at,” NBA Commissioner David Stern said Friday.

“Women’s pro basketball is a subject we talk about from time to time, and we’re looking at it again now.”

Stern said he was impressed that this weekend’s NCAA women’s Final Four games sold out the Omni in Atlanta a week in advance.

“I think it’s terrific; I’ll be watching,” he said.

Stern said he has a “working group” looking at prospects for women’s pro basketball, and members of the group will attend this weekend’s games in Atlanta, but he wouldn’t identify them.

He added that the NBA explored the subject of women’s pro basketball last summer at the Barcelona Olympics.

“But when we looked at last year’s U.S. Olympic team, we found 11 of the 12 players were under contract to foreign teams,” Stern said. There has been no pro basketball for women in the United States for a decade, since the Women’s Professional Basketball League folded. Currently, American women can play basketball professionally only in Europe or South America.

Some U.S. women stars were earning six-figure salaries in Japan playing pro basketball, but officials there announced late last year that U.S. women would be banned from that country for at least one season, beginning next year. American post players, Japanese officials said, were dominating their leagues.

Stern said his “working group” is looking at numerous issues. “Like any commercial venture, there’s a lot to be looked at,” he said.

“For one thing, is there any interest out there in non-collegiate women’s basketball? And when would they play? Would they play 6 p.m. games before the men’s games? And if not, when? Those are the kinds of questions we want our working group to look at.”

Texas Tech women’s basketball Coach Marsha Sharp spoke about the fact that most of her players were small-town types, but she added: “If you think our players are from small towns, you should check out our coaching staff.

“I’m from Tulia, and my assistant coaches are from Higgins, Whitharral and Leveland,” she said. “Try finding those on a map.”

Most of Texas Tech’s players come from within a 150-mile circle of Lubbock, Tex. The point guard is from the smallest town on the roster, Nazareth (Pop. 200).

Vanderbilt’s 6-foot-9 center, Heidi Gillingham, asked if she was aware that she is the tallest player in U.S. women’s basketball, said:

“Well, since I’m the tallest woman I’ve ever seen, I assumed that was the case.”