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.

Long Beach Stingrays
Founded1997
LeagueAmerican Basketball League
Team history1997-1998 (One season)
Based inLong Beach, California
ArenaWalter Pyramid, California State University, Long Beach
Head coachMaura McHugh
Championshipsnone

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 Marciniak, and the former Olympian 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. 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
1997-19982618.5912nd Place, Western Conference

Post-season

Date Winning team Losing team Result
ABL First Round Playoffs
21Feb98Long Beach Stingrays 96Colorado Xplosion 72
22Feb98Colorado 88Long Beach 68
25Feb98Long Beach 92Colorado 61Long Beach wins series, 2 games to 1
ABL Semifinals
27Feb98Long Beach Stingrays 72Portland Power 62
1Mar98Long Beach 70Portland 69Long Beach wins series, 2 games to 0
ABL Championship Series
8Mar98Long Beach Stingrays 65Columbus Quest 62
9Mar98Long Beach 71Columbus 61
11Mar98Columbus 70Long Beach 61
11Mar98Columbus 68Long Beach 53
15Mar98Columbus 86Long Beach 81Columbus wins ABL Championship, 3 games to 2

League honors

Yolanda Griffith

  • 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. 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.
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