Atlanta a curious, intriguing choice for WNBA expansion

During light-hearted presentations, the WNBA sometimes uses smiley faces on a map of the United States to show where its franchises are located.

"We always had this gap in the Southeast," WNBA president Donna Orender said.

No more.

On Wednesday, the WNBA announced that it has expanded again, with Atlanta now home to a smiley face.

The yet-to-be named team will begin play in the summer of 2008 and will become the league's 14th franchise.

I would say this news is both intriguing and curious.

The Southeast is home to the Southeastern Conference, which boasts some of the best women's college basketball teams in the country and, in turn, some of the sport's most die-hard fans.

Atlanta is home to Georgia Tech University, where the surging women's basketball program is a member of the widely followed Atlantic Coast Conference.

Clearly, there's interest in women's basketball in the region, but will that translate into interest in a professional women's basketball team?

Maybe, maybe not.

The people of Atlanta seem rather disinterested in the NBA. The Hawks often draw laughable crowds to Philips Arena, which is where the WNBA team will play.

Since 2001, the Hawks have ranked among the NBA's worst teams in terms of attendance.

Over that span, the Hawks have finished last twice and second-to-last three times.

Last year -- their "best" year of the bunch -- they wound up 26th out of 30 teams with a 15,595 average. The league average was 17,757.

So in a city that has shown, at best, lukewarm support of its cornerstone basketball team, what is the WNBA's plan?

Give it more basketball.

Is that a good idea? Absolutely, say Orender and new team owner Ron Terwilliger, who will be the league's sixth owner not affiliated with an NBA team.

Ironically, Terwilliger is a real estate mogul just like Michael Alter, and Alter gave the WNBA its last expansion team in the summer of 2006 when he brought the Sky to Chicago.

"There is no reason for us to have low expectations," said Terwilliger, who originally became interested in women's basketball when he coached his daughter's sixth-grade basketball team. "I think the mix of fans that are attracted to the WNBA are somewhat different clearly than (those who) go to other events. And it's much more affordable.

"So we think we'll have a good mix of young women and families, and we'll be able to provide a very entertaining event for a much more affordable price than the other professional sports can afford."

According to Orender, the new team has already drawn all kinds of support from the community -- both business and private.

"When we look at the corporate base, we believe (Atlanta) will (have) potentially the strongest support yet demonstrated in a WNBA city," Orender said. "(Atlanta) also has smart, impassioned ownership that believes in the WNBA. And you want a rich tradition of basketball. You want a community that rallies around its young women, that really enjoys this sport.

"Atlanta tops the charts in many of (these) key categories. It's so evident that this is a really great market to partner with the WNBA."

Well, if that's not worth a smiley face, what is?

• All the pomp and circumstance in Atlanta could ring somewhat hollow if the WNBA and its players don't agree on a new labor deal.

The league's collective-bargaining agreement with its players union expired last month, and the negotiations are ongoing in New York.

An expansion draft for Atlanta, which can choose one unprotected player from each team, can't be held until the deal is done.

Double dip: Notre Dame soccer star Brittany Bock is racking up the awards. Literally, twice over.

The Naperville native was named the National Soccer Player of the Week last week by Top Drawer Soccer and the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.

This week, Soccer America named her as its National Player of the Week.

Bock started her spectacular two-week stretch with a hat trick at Syracuse on Oct. 5. Then last week, she rolled up 4 goals and an assist in wins over Georgetown and Villanova to help the No. 15 Irish move to 9-4-1.

Bock leads the Big East in goals and is now 15th on the list of top scorers in the nation. She has 22 points (10 goals and 2 assists).