WNBA select team to compete in FIBA Women´s World Cup 2003

Press release:


-- Tournament Scheduled for October 14-19 in Russia --

NEW YORK, September 12 - A WNBA Select' team of young WNBA stars will travel
to Samara, Russia, to compete in the FIBA Women's World Cup 2003 from
October 14-19, the WNBA announced today. The team is composed primarily of
WNBA first and second year players who have already made a significant
impact on their teams and in the league.

This is the first time FIBA has organized a Women's World Cup, which is
designed to bring together the world's top women's club teams. The October
tournament will serve as a test competition for the event, which is expected
to be conducted as a two-round tournament in the spring and fall of each
year beginning in 2004.

"We are honored to have been invited by FIBA to participate in this historic
tournament," said WNBA President Val Ackerman. "The competition will be very
strong, with WNBA players competing on the rosters of many of the
participating teams, and the event will only highlight how global and
far-reaching the women's game has become."

Other teams competing in the tournament include the Korea Basketball League
Champion, Canberra Capitals from Australia, Russian team UMMC Ekaterinbourg,
Sao Paulo FC from Brazil, USVO Valenciennes from France, Mambas de
Mozambique, and the hometown team, Volgaburmash-SGAU Samara. Lauren Jackson
and Kamila Vodichkova of the Seattle Storm, DeLisha Milton and Mwadi Mabika
of the Los Angeles Sparks, Yolanda Griffith of the Sacramento Monarchs, Swin
Cash of the Detroit Shock, Chamique Holdsclaw of the Washington Mystics and
Allison Feaster of the Charlotte Sting are among the WNBA players expected
to play for the international teams.

The WNBA Select' team will be led by All-Stars Marie Ferdinand, Nikki
Teasley, Adrian Williams and Cheryl Ford, who is also the 2003 Rookie of the
Year, and the league's Most Improved Player in 2003, Michelle Snow. The
complete WNBA Select' roster follows.

WNBA SELECT' TEAM ROSTER

Player Position Team WNBA College
Coretta Brown Guard Indiana Rookie North Carolina '03
Kara Lawson Guard Sacramento Rookie Tennessee '03
K.B. Sharp Guard New York Rookie Cincinnati '03
Nikki Teasley Guard Los Angeles 2nd Year North Carolina '02
Marie Ferdinand Foward San Antonio 3rd Year LSU '01
Cheryl Ford Forward Detroit Rookie Louisiana Tech '03
LaToya Thomas Forward Cleveland Rookie Mississippi State '03
Adrian Williams Forward Phoenix 4th Year USC '00
Ruth Riley Center Detroit 3rd Year Notre Dame '01
Michelle Snow Center Houston 2nd Year Tennessee '02


The WNBA Select' team will be led by Head Coach Michael Cooper and Assistant
Coach Karleen Thompson, both of the two-time WNBA Champion Los Angeles
Sparks. The team will practice at the New York Liberty practice facility in
Tarrytown, New York, from October 8-11. Select games of the FIBA Women's
World Cup 2003 will be televised on NBA TV.

As the preeminent women's sports league, the WNBA is the destination for the
best women's basketball players in the world. WNBA players, both American
and international, are dominant forces in international basketball
competitions, including the World Championships and Olympics. In 2003, 31
Olympians played in the WNBA. To follow all the action of the 2003 Women's
World Cup, tune-in to NBA TV or log-on to WNBA.com.

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Contact:
Traci Cook, WNBA Communications, 212-407-8121