There are growing indications in women's basketball circles that the NBA may launch a spring women's league in 1997.
NBA people either tap-dance around the issue or respond with "no comment" when asked about it, but women's college basketball people, organizers of another pro league and one prominent player agent are saying the NBA is drawing up a plan for a 12- to 16-team women's league.
NBA Commissioner David Stern, sources say, may make an official announcement at next month's NBA All-Star game.
Bruce Levy, a New York agent, represents 71 U.S. women playing professionally in 18 countries.
"It's obvious to me the NBA is dead serious about it. . . . They're spending money on it, and their key people are looking at a women's league," he said.
"At this point I'd be shocked if there isn't an NBA women's league in 1997 or '98."
Louisiana Tech Coach Leon Barmore said the NBA is captivated by the unbeaten U.S. national women's team, of which the NBA is already a principal sponsor.
"That national team is a great team, it's going to be a hot story at the Atlanta Olympics, the NBA knows this, and I'm sure they'd like to use some of that momentum," he said.
"There are other groups out there talking about a women's league but really, in a perfect world, the NBA does it. That's instant credibility. The NBA would make it work."
Interviews with sources familiar with the project describe the key elements this way:
--An April-through-August league is being discussed, with teams in 12 to 16 selected NBA cities. A spring format would enable U.S. players to continue playing in Europe's fall leagues.
--The earliest start date would be April 1997. While the NBA would have its name all over the enterprise, it might be run in its first season by someone else--Nike is said to be a possibility--with the NBA retaining an option to take it over in a second season.
Even without the NBA, women's pro basketball figured to return to the United States next year for the first time since the last pro league failed a dozen years ago.
Levy said he knows of seven groups interested in forming women's pro leagues.
Last Sept. 26, a Palo Alto-based group led by Silicon Valley executive Steve Hams and calling itself the American Basketball League signed nine members of the women's national team to agreements to play in its October-February league, beginning later this year.
