Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Homepage: http://www.wnba.com/

History:
The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) is the governing body for US women’s basketball. Rebecca Lobo, Lisa Leslie, and Sheryl Swoopes are considered as some of the league’s pillars as they were the ones who announced the league’s creation at a press conference in 1996. It took about a year thereafter for WNBA games to begin in 1997. Eight teams played in WNBA’s inaugural season, with two more added in 1998, another two teams in 1999, and four in 2000. Written down in WNBA’s history are some of its firsts: Penny Toler, as the first woman to score a point in the league; and Lisa Leslie as the first to make a dunk basket.The NBA used to collectively own the league and teams. But after the 2002 season, NBA made the bold move to sell the teams either to their NBA counterparts in the same city or to a third party.