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Tickets at Ticket Master
The National Basketball Association's Cleveland Cavaliers pulled out as owners of Women's National Basketball Association Cleveland Rockers, dealing another blow to US pro women's sports.
Four days after the Women's United Soccer Association folded for lack of financial support and on the eve of the 2003 Women's World Cup kickoff at US venues, the lone remaining US women's team sport circuit fell to 13 clubs.
"We have enjoyed our association with the WNBA, but we have decided to forego the continued investment required to operate the Rockers," Cavaliers president Len Komoroski said.
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"We will now focus all of our time, energy and ticketmaster effort on making
the Cavaliers as successful as possible."
The Cavaliers, who had the worst record in the NBA last season, made high school prodigy LeBron James the top draft pick in June and will try to build a contender around him.
But that left no funding available to support the Rockers, who finished 17-17 in their final season. The Rockers lost in the first playoff round to Detroit, which captured the WNBA title Tuesday.
Lackluster fan support, weak television ratings and poor sponsor backing led to the demise of the WUSA, best-known ticketmaster globally as the dream goal for lead characters in the movie "Bend It Like Beckham".