WNBA Signings Are Suddenly Obscuring Those of the ABL

Even before Tuesday, when the WNBA announced the signing of three first-team All-Americans, an unmistakable sense of foreboding had overtaken the ABL.

It was apparent last week, during the ABL’s player tryouts at the University of San Francisco, that the league was having trouble signing big-name college seniors.

That was in sharp contrast to a year ago, when the ABL signed nearly all of them.

But a year ago, the rival Women’s National Basketball Assn. hadn’t played a game. The ABL had one season in the books and was paying triple the salaries of the WNBA.

The co-national players of the year, Kate Starbird and Kara Wolters, signed on. So did Shalonda Enis, La’Kesha Frett, Tracy Henderson, Clarisse Machanguana and DeLisha Milton. The ABL lost only two hotly contested 1997 seniors to the WNBA, Tina Thompson and Tamecka Dixon.

Now, though, the war in women’s hoops has turned and the ABL’s future is clouded.

If this trend continues, the players the ABL now has will keep it a strong league through, perhaps, 2000. Then the slide will begin.

The ABL has recently signed three major players, Danielle McCulley of Western Kentucky, Tausha Mills of Alabama and Alisa Burras of Louisiana Tech.

The WNBA signed five All-Americans a week ago: Tracy Reid of North Carolina, Murriel Page of Florida, Alicia Thompson of Texas Tech, Allison Feaster of Harvard, and the nation’s leading scorer, Cindy Blodgett of Maine.

Then came Tuesday’s blockbuster WNBA triple: Kristin Folkl of Stanford, Ticha Penicheiro of Old Dominion and Nykesha Sales of Connecticut.

And previously signed to WNBA contracts were prominent seniors Adia Barnes of Arizona, Korie Hlede of Duquesne, Delores Jones of Northeastern Illinois, and Katrina Price of Stephen F. Austin.

In fact, when the WNBA conducts its draft today, the 10 teams will select from 44 college seniors, including seven Kodak All-Americans, 14 conference players of the year and 31 all-conference first team selections.

WNBA President Val Ackerman said the difference between now and a year ago is a single season.

“Last year, we were selling an idea, a concept,” she said.

“Players and agents couldn’t comprehend what we were going to do. Now, we have something to show them. We can show them our fan support and exposure. Beyond that, college players are talking to our players and liking what they hear.”

A pay raise didn’t hurt, either. Last season’s top WNBA player salary of $50,000--some of the WNBA’s stars also have personal-services contracts with the league--went up to $62,500.

Top ABL players make $150,000 but, even so, the ABL admits it’s a tougher sell this time.

“It’s gotten very competitive, that’s for sure,” said Steve Hams, ABL executive and co-founder. “But we expect to get our share too.”

Women’s Basketball Notes

Reports have the Utah Starzz making the world’s tallest basketball-playing woman the WNBA’s first pick in today’s draft. She’s Malgorzata (Margo) Dydek, measured at 7 feet 2 and 232 pounds at the recent WNBA combine in Chicago. She’s 23, from Poland and played the last two pro seasons in Spain. . . . WNBA President Val Ackerman said Kristin Folkl and Nykesha Sales won’t be available in today’s draft. Both had season-ending injuries, underwent surgery and won’t play until the 1999 season. . . . The order for today’s draft: Utah, Sacramento, Washington, Detroit, Los Angeles, Cleveland, Charlotte, Phoenix, New York, Houston. . . . The Sparks’ first pick could be Harvard’s Allison Feaster, a 5-11 shooting guard. After that, a target is Octavia Blue, 6-1 forward from Miami.

The ABL holds its draft on Tuesday and the Long Beach StingRays have the third overall pick, resulting from a trade sending guard Niesa Johnson to Seattle. . . . Three who impressed at the ABL combine: 6-3 Danielle McCulley of Western Kentucky, 6-4 Heather Owen of Stanford and 5-9 Shanel Hardison of Louisiana Tech. . . . The ABL recently signed two coaches from Division I schools, Linda Hargrove of Wichita State with the Colorado Xplosion and Candi Harvey of Texas A&M; with expansion Nashville. Hargrove was all but signed to coach the StingRays last season but withdrew at the last minute. . . . Former Spark and USC coach Linda Sharp has applied for Harvey’s spot at Texas A&M.; . . . Mary Murphy, fired as coach of the WNBA’s Sacramento Monarchs last year, will be a WNBA commentator for Lifetime telecasts.