WNBA awards expansion franchise to Atlanta

Confirming earlier reports, the WNBA officially announced this morning its expansion to Atlanta, Georgia.

“As a great sports town and a region that enthusiastically supports women’s athletics, Atlanta is a terrific destination for the WNBA” said (WNBA president Donna Orender). “This is a family-oriented community with tremendous civic pride. I am confident that as a world-class sports league providing great family entertainment, the WNBA will be embraced here for years to come.”

Real estate tycoon Ron Terwilliger will be the sole owner of the franchise, according to the Associated Press. I can’t say much for the man and his company other than I lived at one of their properties many years ago.

Reading about the sole ownership is good news for the team — which will reveal its nickname and logo at a later date — because the ownership issue for their NBA counterparts is shaky and has caused the team to suffer on the court as well as in the pocketbook.

Atlanta will join the Eastern Conference and round out the league at 14 teams.

(Update: Video of today’s press conference at the WNBA Atlanta site.)

(Update: I’m listening to the annoucement and Terwilliger said the team will have the fourth pick in the 2008 draft and he mentioned a “dispersal draft,” but I’m believing he means an expansion draft. So far, no details on that have been released.)