Tuesday, May 30
Sacramento-Orlando is first game
 
 May 30, 2000

ESPN's fourth season of Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) games will begin when the Sacramento Monarchs visit the Orlando Miracle Monday, June 5 at 8 p.m. ET. The action will continue weekly on Monday nights (one exception: Wed., July 12), including the WNBA All-Star Game from Phoenix July 17. In addition, ESPN will televise as many as 10 WNBA playoff games, starting August 11.

Play-by-play duties will be shared by ESPN's Robin Roberts, John Saunders and Michele Tafoya. Roberts will work the opener June 5. Jay Bilas, who joined the network's WNBA coverage last year, will serve as the analyst. Lea B. Olsen, who covers the Minnesota Timberwolves of the NBA and the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx on local radio and TV, will make her ESPN debut as the sideline reporter.

ESPN2 will televise a half-hour WNBA preview program hosted by Roberts tonight at 12:30 a.m. ET (9:30 p.m. PT). The show will preview the season and the league, which has expanded to 16 teams with the addition of four expansion teams - the Indiana Fever, Miami Sol, Portland Fire and Seattle Storm.

Key games include three appearances by the three-time WNBA champion Houston Comets - hosting the Utah Starzz June 12 and the Sacramento Monarchs July 12 and visiting the Phoenix Mercury August 7. In addition, the defending Eastern Conference champion New York Liberty and the Los Angeles Sparks, owners of the league's second-best record in 1999, will each appear twice.

 



ALSO SEE
ESPN 2000 WNBA regular-season schedule