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Message: [QUOTE="Carnac, post: 2767843, member: 5798"] The WNBA had a franchise in Sacramento ([URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacramento_Monarchs']The Monarchs[/URL]) from 1997–2009 until folding on November 20, 2009. They played their home games at [URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ARCO_Arena']ARCO Arena[/URL]. The Monarchs were one of the WNBA's eight original franchises. They were the sister franchise of the [URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacramento_Kings']Sacramento Kings[/URL] [URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Basketball_Association']National Basketball Association[/URL] (NBA) team. They were one of the more successful WNBA franchises on the court, though they often trailed behind perennial Western Conference champions the [URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houston_Comets']Houston Comets[/URL] and the [URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_Sparks']Los Angeles Sparks[/URL]. However, in 2005, the team brought Sacramento a championship winning the WNBA Finals for the only time under head coach John Whisenant. It was revealed on November 20, 2009 that the Maloof family would no longer operate the Monarchs. [B]The league attempted to re-locate the Monarchs to the San Francisco Bay area, but on December 8, 2009 it was announced that new ownership could not be found [/B]and a [URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_WNBA_Draft']dispersal draft[/URL] would be held on December 14, 2009. To date, the Monarchs were the last WNBA team to cease operations. They may want to try their luck in the bay area at some point in the future. There may be a market for them now. Stanford and The University of California - Berkeley are the only Division 1 MAJOR women's basketball programs in the area. There are several "mid-major" D1 women's programs also in the Northern California area. If a relocated franchise could win, they would have a following. Look at how Las Vegas adopted and embraced their new hockey franchise - [B]The Golden Knights[/B], that kept winning, and winning, and winning and went all the way to the Stanley Cup finals in their inaugural season. Believe me, Las Vegas loves their Golden Knights!!! ;) [/QUOTE]

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