The American Basketball League, often abbreviated to the ABL of 1996 was an independent professional basketball league for women in the United States. At the same time the ABL was being formed, the National Basketball Association (NBA) was creating the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Both organizations came into existence during a surge in popularity for women's basketball in the United States that followed the undefeated, gold medal-winning performance of the United States Women's basketball team at the 1996 Summer Olympics.
The ABL got off the ground first, and early on was generally considered to feature a higher quality of play than the rival WNBA. This was partly due to the league's signing of a majority of players from the 1996 USA women's team. Star players were drawn to the league partly due to the higher salaries offered by the ABL. Ultimately, the league was unable to compete financially against the WNBA, which was backed by the NBA. The NBA has operated the WNBA at a loss every year since its inception.
The ABL lasted two full seasons: 1996–97 and 1997–98. The Atlanta Glory and Long Beach Stingrays folded prior to the start of the 1998–99 season. The ABL disbanded on December 22, 1998 with teams having played between 12 to 15 games of the 1998–99 season.
Of the locations of the ABL's teams, only Chicago, Portland, Seattle, and Atlanta have been given WNBA teams.
Contents |
Eastern Conference
| Team | W | L | PCT. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus Quest | 31 | 9 | .775 |
| Richmond Rage | 21 | 19 | .525 |
| Atlanta Glory | 18 | 22 | .450 |
| New England Blizzard | 16 | 24 | .400 |
Western Conference
| Team | W | L | PCT. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado Xplosion | 25 | 15 | .625 |
| San Jose Lasers | 18 | 22 | .450 |
| Seattle Reign | 17 | 23 | .425 |
| Portland Power | 14 | 26 | .350 |
Eastern Conference
| Team | W | L | PCT. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus Quest | 36 | 8 | .818 |
| New England Blizzard | 24 | 20 | .545 |
| Atlanta Glory | 15 | 29 | .341 |
| Philadelphia Rage | 13 | 31 | .295 |
Western Conference
| Team | W | L | PCT. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portland Power | 27 | 17 | .614 |
| Long Beach Stingrays | 26 | 18 | .591 |
| Colorado Xplosion | 21 | 23 | .477 |
| San Jose Lasers | 21 | 23 | .477 |
| Seattle Reign | 15 | 29 | .341 |
Eastern Conference
| Team | W | L | PCT. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus Quest | 11 | 3 | .786 |
| Philadelphia Rage | 9 | 5 | .643 |
| Chicago Condors | 4 | 8 | .333 |
| Nashville Noise | 4 | 11 | .267 |
| New England Blizzard | 3 | 10 | .231 |
Western Conference
| Team | W | L | PCT. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portland Power | 9 | 4 | .692 |
| San Jose Lasers | 9 | 6 | .600 |
| Seattle Reign | 8 | 7 | .533 |
| Colorado Xplosion | 5 | 8 | .387 |
The 1996–97 ABL All-Star Game was played on December 15, 1996 at the Hartford Civic Center. Eastern Conference 81-65 Western Conference. The game's MVP was Tari Phillips.
The 1997–98 ABL All-Star Game was played on January 18, 1998 at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Eastern Conference 102-73 Western Conference.
The 1998–99 ABL All-Star Game was scheduled to be played on January 24, 1999 in San Jose, California, but was canceled when the league ceased operations in December 1998.[1]
| Year | Champions | Result | Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996–97 | Columbus Quest | 3–2 | Richmond Rage |
| 1997–98 | Columbus Quest | 3–2 | Long Beach Stingrays |
| 1998–99 | Columbus Quest declared champions. | ||