Long Beach Stingrays
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| Long Beach Stingrays | |
 |
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| Founded | 1997 |
| League | American Basketball League |
| Team History | 1997-1998 (One season) |
| Arena | Walter Pyramid, California State University, Long Beach |
|---|---|
| Based in | Long Beach, California |
| Team Colors | |
| Head Coach | Maura McHugh |
| Championships | none |
The Long Beach Stingrays was a women's professional basketball team. It existed for only the 1997-98 season, and was a member of the American Basketball League.
The Stingrays played most of their home games at the Walter Pyramid on the campus of California State University, Long Beach; however, one home game was played at the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim (now the Honda Center). Their head coach was Maura McHugh.
The Stingrays' biggest star player was their center, Yolanda Griffith. Other notable Stingrays included Beverly Williams, Michelle Marciniak, and the former Olympian Venus Lacy.
In what turned out to be the team's only season, the Stingrays made it all the way to the ABL's championship round. They beat the defending champion Columbus Quest in the first two games, both in Long Beach, but lost the final three games in Columbus, and with that, the series.
The Stingrays folded after the season, and the rest of the league followed in December 1998. Griffith, like most of the ABL's star players, eventually joined the competing Women's National Basketball Association. Griffith has played for the Sacramento Monarchs since 1999. As for McHugh, she has coached various professional and college teams.
Contents |
[edit] Team record
[edit] Regular season
| Season | W | L | Win % | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-1998 | 26 | 18 | .591 | 2nd Place, Western Conference |
[edit] Post-season
| Date | Winning team | Losing team | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| ABL First Round Playoffs | |||
| 21Feb98 | Long Beach Stingrays 96 | Colorado Xplosion 72 | |
| 22Feb98 | Colorado 88 | Long Beach 68 | |
| 25Feb98 | Long Beach 92 | Colorado 61 | Long Beach wins series, 2 games to 1 |
| ABL Semifinals | |||
| 27Feb98 | Long Beach Stingrays 72 | Portland Power 62 | |
| 1Mar98 | Long Beach 70 | Portland 69 | Long Beach wins series, 2 games to 0 |
| ABL Championship Series | |||
| 8Mar98 | Long Beach Stingrays 65 | Columbus Quest 62 | |
| 9Mar98 | Long Beach 71 | Columbus 61 | |
| 11Mar98 | Columbus 70 | Long Beach 61 | |
| 11Mar98 | Columbus 68 | Long Beach 53 | |
| 15Mar98 | Columbus 86 | Long Beach 81 | Columbus wins ABL Championship, 3 games to 2 |
[edit] League honors
- ABL Defensive Player of the Year, 1997-98
- All-ABL First Team, 1997-98
