Cougars’ Ruff Passed Over By Abl But Columbus Franchise Proves Ready To Risk 7th Pick On Lloyd
Despite being included among 122 women in the American Basketball League’s initial draft pool, Washington State’s Jenni Ruff was passed over Wednesday in the league’s inaugural player-selection process, held in San Jose, Calif.
The eight-team league will limit rosters to 10 active players and three alternates.
Though Ruff didn’t make it, former Moscow High and University of Texas star Andrea Lloyd was selected in the seventh round by the Columbus, Ohio franchise. Montana State’s Cass Bauer was chosen by Columbus in the fifth round.
The ABL’s draft pool was determined after six days of tryouts two weeks ago at Emory University in Atlanta. Close to 600 women participated and paid $200 each to try out.
Ruff will now try to find a position on a team in Europe. Most European leagues begin in early to mid-fall. Her Portland-based agent, Paul Loving, has contacted more than 200 teams overseas about her availability.
“My agent heard that not all of the players drafted (for the ABL) are planning on signing,” Ruff said. “I’m not sure where that would put me if that were the case. I’m leaving all options open, but right now, I’ll keep looking overseas.”
In her final year as a Cougar last season, Ruff led the Pacific-10 Conference in scoring with an average of 23.6 points per game and was a first-team all-league selection.
She said she would still like to try out for the Women’s National Basketball League in the summer of 1997.
The WNBA will get its jump start with the help of the National Basketball Association. The NBA has targeted next summer as a start date. The ABL starts in October.
The WNBA hopes to sign the best players from around the world. It does not intend to bar them from playing in the ABL or leagues in other countries, but the ABL has asked its players to be exclusive participants of that league by signing two-year contracts.
Many of the top American female players have indicated they may wait for the WNBA to start because the NBA will use its resources to get that league underway.
The ABL’s founders include Steve Hams, a former Silicon Valley (Southern California) executive; Gary Cavalli, former sports information director at Stanford University; and Atlanta nursing home owner Bobby Johnson.
They have used their own money (an estimated $4 million) and other corporate sponsorships to get the league going.
, DataTimes