Sting Franchise in Limbo

Charlotte’s season ended when the Washington Mystics swept the Sting out of the playoffs.

Now the Sting faces a question the WNBA is hesitant to answer.

What next? Charlotte began the 2002 season as a grand experiment, the first WNBA team not tied to an NBA city.

The NBA’s Hornets, who finished their season in Charlotte, are on their way to New Orleans. With them goes the Sting’s safety net, as well as weight room equipment and office space.

The lease agreement on the Sting’s offices ends Sept. 28.

League officials said in May that one of the key considerations, if the Sting were to have a future in Charlotte, would be attendance this season. Well, Charlotte ranked 15th among 16 teams, averaging 6,667 a game.

That was marginally better than the 6,595 Charlotte averaged last year, when the team, after a 1-10 start, reached the WNBA finals. Those numbers are also consistent with the attendance the Sting has had in six years in Charlotte.

In what could have been the team’s final game in Charlotte, the Sting drew 6,038 for the playoff game with Washington.

Looming is San Antonio. That city, which has the NBA’s Spurs, will be granted a WNBA franchise if officials there can sell 6,000 season tickets.

San Antonio reportedly is at 4,000 and counting and has until Nov. 15 to reach the goal.

WNBA Commissioner Val Ackerman has said she’d prefer that San Antonio be an expansion franchise.

She also has said that it’s time for the league “to look at a new business model”--considering the possibility of WNBA teams surviving in cities not anchored by NBA teams.

Whatever it’s to be, Charlotte officials would feel more comfortable if they could get some signal from the WNBA. So far, not a peep.

Perhaps the WNBA wants to see if former NBA stars M.L. Carr (now president of the Sting) and Larry Bird can pull together the necessary financing to bring another expansion NBA team to Charlotte. But that’s, at best, a couple of years away.

The Sting needs some answers now.

Short Shrift

WNBA officials recognize that eventually they will have to lengthen the league’s regular season, which runs 32 games.

There also needs to be some thought given to lengthening the playoffs.

The league’s best-of-three format is too short for anything but the first round. The conference finals and league championship series should be best of five. That would give more value to earning the home-court advantage.

As it is, the team with home-court advantage must start its playoff series on the road, then play the final two games on its home court.

If the series were allowed to go five games, the team with home-court advantage could start at home for two games, then, if necessary, have the fifth and deciding game on its court.

A longer series also would lessen the odds of a better team getting put out by a fluke play or key injury.

Man in Demand

Attention, Johnny Buss.

As president of the Sparks, you are certainly aware that the Denver Nuggets had more than a passing interest in your coach, Michael Cooper, and were ready to make him a generous offer to join their staff.

You are just as aware that Denver will not be the only NBA team interested in Cooper when his contract ends next season, especially if he coaches the Sparks to another championship or two.

And you’re probably aware that Houston recently locked up its coach, Van Chancellor, for three more years.

I don’t know how you feel about the job Cooper has done or his standing as a former Laker player who has wanted to remain part of the Laker family.

But if the Sparks want to hang onto the winningest coach in their franchise’s history, don’t wait until the last second to start thinking about his next contract.