Long Beach Stingrays
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 (ABL).
 | |
| Founded | 1997 |
|---|---|
| League | American Basketball League |
| Team history | 1997–1998 (one season) |
| Based in | Long Beach, California |
| Arena | Walter Pyramid, California State University, Long Beach |
| Head coach | Maura McHugh |
| Championships | none |
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 M. Marciniak, and the former Olympic athlete 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.
Despite their strong first season, the Stingrays were viewed largely with indifference by area fans. They had the league's worst attendance; for most of the season, they attracted crowds in the hundreds. Citing anemic season ticket sales and weak corporate sponsorship, league officials shuttered the Stingrays in August 1998. The rest of the league followed in December.
Griffith, like most of the ABL's star players, eventually joined the competing Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) Griffith went on to a long career in the WNBA, most notably for the Sacramento Monarchs. As for McHugh, she has coached various professional and college teams.
Team record
Regular season
| Season | W | L | Win % | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997–1998 | 26 | 18 | .591 | 2nd Place, Western Conference |
Post-season
- ABL Playoffs First-Round
| Date | Winning team | Losing team | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 February 1998 | Long Beach Stingrays | Colorado Xplosion | 96–72 | |
| 22 February 1998 | Colorado | Long Beach | 88–68 | |
| 25 February 1998 | Long Beach | Colorado | 92–61 | Long Beach wins series, 2–1 |
- ABL Semifinals
| Date | Winning team | Losing team | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 February 1998 | Long Beach Stingrays | Portland Power | 72–62 | |
| 1 March 1998 | Long Beach | Portland | 70–69 | Long Beach wins series, 2–0 |
- ABL Championship Series
| Date | Winning team | Losing team | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 March 1998 | Long Beach Stingrays | Columbus Quest | 65–62 | |
| 9 March 1998 | Long Beach | Columbus | 71–61 | |
| 11 March 1998 | Columbus | Long Beach | 70–61 | |
| 11 March 1998 | Columbus | Long Beach | 68–53 | |
| 15 March 1998 | Columbus | Long Beach | 86–81 | Columbus wins ABL Championship, 3–2 |
League honors
- ABL Defensive Player of the Year, 1997–98
- All-ABL First Team, 1997–98
References
- "Articles about Long Beach Stingrays Basketball Team". Los Angeles Times. May 6, 1998. Archived from the original on 2015-12-02. Retrieved 26 December 2015. Article headline, author, date, and lead paragraph, in reverse chronological order, each linked to page of the article.