Colorado Xplosion

Last updated

Colorado Xplosion
SportBasketball
Founded1996
Folded1998
League American Basketball League (ABL)
Arena McNichols Sports Arena, Denver Coliseum
ColorsNavy   and Gold  
Head coachSheryl Estes (1996–1997) [1]
Linda Hargrove (1998) [2]
General managerLark Birdsong (1996–1998) [2]
John Nillen (1998) [2]
Championships1 Conference Title

The Colorado Xplosion was the first women's professional basketball franchise in Colorado, an American Basketball League (ABL) team based in Denver. Playing from 1996 through 1998, the team produced many memorable moments for Colorado sports fans and followers of women's professional basketball in general. [3]

Contents

Team highlights include winning the Western Conference title in 1997, Edna Campbell being voted on to the 1997 All-Star Team, Crystal Robinson being the inaugural ABL Rookie of the Year, Debbie Black being the league's first Defensive Player of the Year, and Sylvia Crawley winning the 1998 Slam Dunk Contest at the ABL All-Star Game with a blindfolded dunk. Black made pro basketball history on December 8, 1996 when she became the first woman and only the second player ever to record a Quadruple Double, with 10 points, 14 rebounds, 12 assists and 10 steals against Atlanta. Players for the Xplosion included Edna Campbell, Crystal Robinson, Debbie Black, Sylvia Crawley, Nekeshia Henderson, Tari Phillips, and Vonda Ward.

After the franchise ceased operations with the abrupt demise of the ABL in the 1998–99 season, Xplosion players went on to continue their careers in the WNBA.

Team record

SeasonWLWin %Result
1996–972515.625Western Conference Champions
1997–982023.4654th place, Western Conference
199858.3854th place, Western Conference

All-Star players

League honors

All-Star Edna Campbell (1997)

Rookie of the Year Crystal Robinson (1997)

Defensive Player of the Year Debbie Black (1997)

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minnesota Lynx</span> Womens basketball team

The Minnesota Lynx are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team won the WNBA title in 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Antonio Stars</span> Former womens basketball team

The San Antonio Stars were a professional basketball team based in San Antonio, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team was founded in Salt Lake City, Utah, as the Utah Starzz before the league's inaugural 1997 season began; then moved to San Antonio before the 2003 season and became the San Antonio Silver Stars, then simply the San Antonio Stars in 2014. The team was owned by Spurs Sports & Entertainment, which also owned the San Antonio Spurs of the NBA. The team was sold to MGM Resorts International in 2017 and became the Las Vegas Aces for the 2018 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indiana Fever</span> American womens professional basketball team

The Indiana Fever are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team was founded before the 2000 season began. The team is owned by Herb Simon, the founder of Simon Malls, who also owns the Fever's NBA counterpart, the Indiana Pacers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Basketball League (1996–1998)</span> Defunct professional womens basketball league in the United States

The American Basketball League, often abbreviated to the ABL of 1996 was a professional women's basketball league 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). The ABL began league competition in the Fall of 1996, while the WNBA launched its first game in June 1997. Both organizations came into existence during a surge in popularity for women's basketball in the United States that followed the perfect 35–0 national championship season for the Connecticut Huskies in 1995 and the undefeated, gold medal-winning performance of the United States Women's basketball team at the 1996 Summer Olympics.

Charlotte Smith is a retired American professional women's basketball player for the Charlotte Sting, Washington Mystics and Indiana Fever in the WNBA, and for the Colorado Xplosion and San Jose Lasers in the ABL. She is currently the women's basketball head coach at Elon University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yolanda Griffith</span> Basketball player

Yolanda Evette Griffith is an American professional basketball hall of fame player who played in both the ABL and WNBA. A former WNBA MVP, she is considered one of the greatest rebounders and defensive players in the history of Women's Basketball. She last played in the WNBA as a member of the Indiana Fever. In 2011, she was voted in by fans as one of the top 15 players in WNBA history. She is sometimes called by her nicknames: "Yo" and "Yo-Yo". Since retiring from the professional ranks, Griffith was an assistant coach at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She is currently an assistant coach with the Boston College Eagles. Griffith was inducted into the 2014 Women's Basketball Hall of Fame's class on her first year of eligibility.

Tari L. Phillips is an American former professional women's basketball player. Her cousin Tayyiba Haneef-Park played for USA Volleyball.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edna Campbell</span> American basketball player

Edna Campbell is a former women's basketball player who played in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The 5 ft 8 in guard played with the Sacramento Monarchs as well as three other teams, but is well known for continuing to play despite suffering breast cancer. In 2004, she was designated a Women's History Month honoree by the National Women's History Project. Campbell was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The 1992–93 NBA season was the 47th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Chicago Bulls winning their third straight NBA Championship, beating the Phoenix Suns 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1987–88 NBA season</span> 42nd NBA season

The 1987–88 NBA season was the 42nd season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Los Angeles Lakers winning their second straight Championship, beating the Detroit Pistons in seven hard-fought games in the NBA Finals, becoming the NBA's first repeat champions since the Boston Celtics did it in the 1968–69 NBA season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sylvia Crawley</span>

Sylvia Crawley is a former American professional women's basketball forward, licensed minister and motivational speaker. She was also the head women's basketball coach of the Boston College Eagles, from 2008 to 2012, and an assistant coach with the Indiana Fever of the WNBA. She is currently an assistant coach for the North Carolina Tar Heels women's basketball team, her alma mater, where she also held the same position from 2000 to 2002.

Crystal LaTresa Robinson is an American basketball coach and former player. She grew up in Atoka, Oklahoma, and first garnered national recognition during her collegiate career at Southeastern Oklahoma State University. Professionally, Robinson played for the Colorado Xplosion of the ABL before playing in the WNBA for the New York Liberty and Washington Mystics.

Debbie Black is an American women's basketball former player and current coach. During her professional career, Black played in the Women's National Basketball League in Australia, the American Basketball League and the Women's National Basketball Association. She retired from the Connecticut Sun of the WNBA in 2005. Black was an assistant coach for the Ohio State University before being named the head coach of the Eastern Illinois University Women's Basketball team on May 16, 2013, in which position she continued until 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sylvia Fowles</span> American basketball player

Sylvia Shaqueria Fowles is an American former professional basketball player. Fowles played for the Chicago Sky and Minnesota Lynx during her WNBA career. She won the WNBA MVP Award in 2017 and the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year award four times. She led the Lynx to win the WNBA Championship in 2015 and 2017, and she was named the MVP of the WNBA Finals both times. In 2020, Fowles overtook Rebekkah Brunson to become the WNBA's career leader in rebounds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portland Power (basketball)</span> American basketball team

The Portland Power was a women's professional basketball team in the American Basketball League (ABL) based in Portland, Oregon. The Power began play in 1996, and disbanded when the ABL folded at the end of 1998. The Power hosted home games at Veterans Memorial Coliseum, which had a capacity of 10,934.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seattle Reign (basketball)</span> First womens professional basketball franchise in Seattle, Washington

The Seattle Reign was the first women's professional basketball franchise in Seattle, Washington, USA. The Reign was a charter member of the American Basketball League (ABL). The team played from 1996 through 1998. The team's name was a reference to the city's reputation for rain and its location in King County, with an additional allusion to "The Reign Man" Shawn Kemp, then the city's biggest basketball star.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philadelphia Rage</span> Basketball team

The Philadelphia Rage was one of the eight original franchises of the American Basketball League (ABL), a women's professional basketball league. The franchise existed for just two-and-a-half seasons, from 1996 to 1997 in Richmond, Virginia, and from 1997 to late 1998 in Philadelphia.

The 1997–98 NBA season was the Spurs' 22nd season in the National Basketball Association, and 31st season as a franchise. This season is most memorable when the Spurs selected Tim Duncan out of Wake Forest University with the first overall pick in the 1997 NBA draft. After finishing with the third-worst record in 1996–97, the Spurs won the 1997 NBA Draft Lottery, dubbed as the "Tim Duncan Sweepstakes". During the off-season, the team signed free agents, three-point specialist Jaren Jackson, and second-year forward Malik Rose.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Las Vegas Aces</span> American professional womens basketball team

The Las Vegas Aces are an American professional basketball team based in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Aces compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The team plays their home games at Michelob Ultra Arena in the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, and is headquartered in Henderson, Nevada. The Aces won the 2022 WNBA Commissioner's Cup and WNBA Championship. The Aces also won the 2023 WNBA Championship, becoming the first team to win back-to-back championships since 2001-2002, when the Los Angeles Sparks completed that feat.

The American Basketball League was the first independent professional basketball league for women in the United States. The ABL lasted two full seasons: 1996–97 and 1997–98. On December 22, 1998; with almost no warning, the ABL declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy and suspended operations. Each team had played between 12 and 15 games of the 1998–99 season.

References

  1. Tomlinson, Dylan B. (December 27, 1998). "From days of glory to a single day of doom". Denver Post.
  2. 1 2 3 Kane, Michael (December 23, 1998). "Xplosion hit with players off on holiday". Denver Post.
  3. Brown, I.; Williams, J. (2008). The Great Book of Denver Sports Lists. Running Press. p. 111. ISBN   978-0-7867-4168-7 . Retrieved July 11, 2018.