Bobcats Drop Ownership of WNBA Franchise
The Charlotte Bobcats today have become the first NBA franchise to drop its sponsorship of a WNBA team.
The Charlotte Bobcats said Wednesday they have stopped operating the WNBA’s Charlotte Sting and turned over control to the NBA-owned women’s basketball league, which is in negotiations to sell the franchise. “As we have changed our management structure, we have made the decision to focus all of our resources and efforts on the operation of the Charlotte Bobcats,” Bobcats Sports and Entertainment President Fred Whitfield said in a statement.
The Sting, an original WNBA franchise, reached the league’s championship series only once in their 10 seasons in Charlotte and have suffered from declining attendance in recent seasons.
Now, granted, Charlotte hasn’t been a great NBA town, let alone a great WNBA town. The Hornets are in New Orleans now, after all. And this is a state with several big time college basketball teams: UNC, Duke, NC State, and Wake Forest.
Still, it doesn’t bode well for the WNBA when its own league drops a team. At some point, isn’t it time to acknowledge that there is rather little fan interest in women’s professional basketball?
- Six is it- Charlotte beats NY 114-105
- Phil Jackson and Roy Williams Elected to Hall of Fame
- Chamique Holdsclaw Retires Suddenly
- Crushed- Charlotte beats Miami 104-65
- On top- LA Lakers beat Charlotte 99-97
- Penn State’s Rene Portland resigns
- Golden State Warriors trade Stephen Jackson to Charlotte
- Parting gift- Montana State basketball program gets bequeathed $170,000
- Finally- NJ Nets beat Charlotte 97-91
- Cincinnati Bengals lose rookie OL Andre Smith to a foot fracture
- Eight is Enough- Edmonton beats Chicago 8-4
- Lydia Ko wins New South Wales Open
- The Comeback I- Pittsburgh Penguins beat NY Islanders 5-0
- Seattle Mariners Outfielder Greg Halman stabbed to death at age 24
- Hee Young Park wins CME Titleholders Championship
- Oklahoma State Women’s Basketball Coach Kurt Budke dead at 50
- Costly mistake- Blackhawks waive Rostislav Olesz
- Manager Tony La Russa announces retirement
- Puck Drop- Florida Panthers start the 2011-12 NHL season
- 13-time PGA Tour winner Dave Hill dead at 74
Comments are Closed