Women’s League Reveals Names
First there were the Devil Rays, now there are the CyberRays. New on the scene, too, are the Beat and the Breakers, the Charge and the Power, not to mention the Tempest, the Spirit and the Freedom.
America’s sporting lexicon increased by eight names Thursday when the Women’s United Soccer Assn. (WUSA) revealed the nicknames of its teams and the stadiums in which the country’s first professional women’s league will begin play in April.
In California, the two WUSA teams are the Bay Area CyberRays, who will play at Spartan Stadium in San Jose, and the San Diego Spirit, whose home will be Torero Stadium at the University of San Diego.
The WUSA nicknames and logos were unveiled at a luncheon in New York attended by many of the 24 U.S. national team players and several of the 16 foreign stars who have been assigned to WUSA teams.
“What an awesome day,” said Julie Foudy, who will play for the Spirit. “We have dreamt about this day since we were born, I think, and talked about it and fantasized about it.”
Thursday did provide some news amid the emotion.
* Michelle Akers will not take part in the league in its inaugural year. “She wants to get her full health back and we have to honor that,” said Tony DiCicco, the former U.S. women’s national team coach who is WUSA’s acting commissioner.
* Player salaries will average $40,000 and each team will have an $800,000 salary cap.
* WUSA is projecting an average attendance of 7,000, and there will be some doubleheaders with Major League Soccer.
* Each team will have a 20-player roster for the season beginning April 14.
“Each team is going to develop stars that we don’t even know about today,” DiCicco said. “We saw that happen in MLS and we’ll see it happen in WUSA.”
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WUSA at a Glance
With team, stadium and key players:
* ATLANTA BEAT--Bobby Dodd Stadium at Georgia Tech--Briana Scurry, Cindy Parlow, Nikki Serlenga, Charmaine Hooper (Canada), Homare Sawa (Japan).
* BAY AREA CYBERRAYS--Spartan Stadium at San Jose State--Brandi Chastain, Tisha Venturini, Lakeysia Beene, Katia (Brazil), Sissi (Brazil).
* BOSTON BREAKERS--Zimman Field at Tufts University or Foxboro (Mass.) Stadium--Kristine Lilly, Kate Sobrero, Tracy Ducar, Maren Meinert (Germany), Bettina Wiegmann (Germany).
* CAROLINA TEMPEST--Fetzer Field at North Carolina--Danielle Fotopoulos, Tiffany Roberts, Carla Overbeck, Hege Riise (Norway), Bente Nordby (Norway).
* NEW YORK POWER--Mitchel Field, Long Island--Tiffeny Milbrett, Sara Whalen, Christie Pearce, Ann Kristin Aarones (Norway) Gro Espeseth (Norway).
* PHILADELPHIA CHARGE--Villanova Stadium--Lorrie Fair, Mandy Clemens, Saskia Webber, Doris Fitschen (Germany), Kelly Smith (England).
* SAN DIEGO SPIRIT--Torero Stadium at University of San Diego--Joy Fawcett, Julie Foudy, Shannon MacMillan, Kristin Bengttson (Sweden), Ulrika Karlsson (Sweden).
* WASHINGTON FREEDOM--RFK Stadium--Mia Hamm, Siri Mullinix, Michelle French, Pretinha (Brazil), Roseli (Brazil).
