History
In their short history, the Miami Sol put together a talented roster of players. Coached for three seasons by Ron Rothstein, their combination of veteran leadership in Debbie Black, Elena Baranova and Sandy Brondello as well youth in Ruth Riley and Sheri Sam, lead them to the playoffs in 2001, but lost in the first round to the New York Liberty in 3 games. This was the only playoff appearance for the Sol.
After losing to the New York Liberty in the playoffs, the Miami Sol finished the 2002 season with a 15-17 record. This season proved to be the Sol's last. Citing the inability to raise enough funds to continue operation under the WNBA's new restructuring agreement, the organization ceased operations. The team finished with a franchise record of 48 wins and 48 losses.
The other Florida team, the Orlando Miracle, also folded at the end of the 2002 season.
A new team, the Connecticut Sun, joined the league in 2003 with a nickname and logo which were extremely reminiscent of the Miami Sol. However, the new Connecticut Sun franchise was actually the successor to the Orlando Miracle, who managed to find new ownership.
Since the folding of the Miami Sol, former members of the team have found success elsewhere. After being reassigned to the Detroit Shock, Ruth Riley won two WNBA championships in 2003 and 2006. Betty Lennox and Sandy Brondello won a WNBA championship with the Seattle Storm in 2004, with Lennox winning the WNBA Finals Most Valuable Player award.
Read more about this topic: Miami Sol
Famous quotes containing the word history:
“There is a constant in the average American imagination and taste, for which the past must be preserved and celebrated in full-scale authentic copy; a philosophy of immortality as duplication. It dominates the relation with the self, with the past, not infrequently with the present, always with History and, even, with the European tradition.”
—Umberto Eco (b. 1932)
“I believe that history might be, and ought to be, taught in a new fashion so as to make the meaning of it as a process of evolution intelligible to the young.”
—Thomas Henry Huxley (1825–95)
“Perhaps universal history is the history of the diverse intonation of some metaphors.”
—Jorge Luis Borges (1899–1986)