Disbanded Houston Comets' Players Dispersed Via Lottery to WNBA

Earlier this week the news that the WNBA team that fostered the likes of Sheryl Swoopes and Cynthia Cooper, The Houston Comets, was disbanding and now a lottery is planned for Monday to disperse Comets’ players throughtout other WNBA teams, according to USA Today.

The women’s basketball franchise that won the first WNBA championships was disbanded on Monday when the league-owned team failed to find new owners.

WNBA president Donna Orender told the Associated Press that just because the Comets have shut down, there’s no reason to believe Houston can’t someday get another WNBA team.

“You can't ignore the fact this team was the engine that drove the league," Orender said. "We appreciate the fan base. With the affection the fans in the city have for the team, maybe one day the corporate and city leaders will aggregate their resources and resurrect a formidable franchise."

Orender also said that the franchise disbanding is not indicative of trouble across the board for the WNBA and that the league’s 13 other franchises are not in trouble.

"Talent has been absolutely blooming," Orender said of players including Candace Parker, Sylvia Fowles and Candice Wiggins. "There are new cities in the pipeline and prospects for continued growth are bright. The league is stronger than ever."

Monday a dispersal draft will be held for Matee Ajavon, Lucienne Berthieu, Renae Camino, Tamecka Dixon, Roneeka Hodges, Sequoia Holmes, Shannon Johnson, Sancho Lyttle, Polina Tzekova, Erica White and Mistie Williams.

The lottery pertains to the five league teams that didn’t make the play-offs.