Lobo Speaks Up

Many of us were already thinking it, but ESPN analyst Rebecca Lobo was the first prominent person to say it on record: "If NBA owners are having financial difficulties, what's the first thing they're going to look to shed? Even though a year of operations for the WNBA is less costly than the salaries of many of the NBA players, that's not what they're going to cut," the former WNBA star told The Hartford Courant in July. "They're going to look to cut the WNBA."

It's hard to disagree with Lobo, especially when you consider the plight of the Arena Football League (AFL). The AFL filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation on Aug. 4 and suspended operations indefinitely. Arguably the most successful niche sports league in American history, the AFL lasted 22 seasons, landed a TV contract with NBC and had its own EA Sports video game -- all without a partnership with a big-time league like the NFL. While the WNBA league office hasn't, and likely won’t, comment on this development, you can be sure WNBA officials have taken notice.

5 Questions with Los Angeles' Tina Thompson

Q: You guys obviously aren't where you want to be in the standings right now. What do you need to do to make a playoff run?
A: Well, we need to win games, first of all (laughs), just more like closing them out. We are in most of the games we play, (but) we have moments where we just lose focus or concentration and end up losing games. We need to hone more in at our task and finish it up.

Q: You're an LA native back home on a new team. What's that experience been like?
A: It's good to be home, but of course, my expectations were different. We were expected to be winning with the talent that we have. We've had some injuries and things like that, and just haven't jelled as quickly as we expected. But we are getting better with each game and practice, and we are looking forward to turning it around.

Q: Everyone knows what happened to the Comets, but with you being such a big part of their success all those years, how did you take the news that they were folding? A: I didn't take it very well. It was unexpected. I expected them to be playing in the WNBA this season -- that's what we were told. When something like that happens unexpectedly, it's definitely tough to take.

Q: You were a free agent. Did you plan on returning to Houston, or testing the market?
A: If the Comets were still in existence, I would have definitely ended my career there.

Q: You've been blessed to play with a lot of really great players in your career -- Candace Parker and Lisa Leslie now and Sheryl Swoopes and Cynthia Cooper in Houston. What has it been like being surrounded by that level of talent?
A: It's been great. It's easy to play with players that are talented and have an in-depth knowledge of the game. I've definitely been blessed to play with players at their talent level and have success. Of course, I speak for every woman in this league (when I say), you want to win and you want to find success -- that's the reason why we play. I have been fortunate to be in situations where, most of the time, I have been able to win games and be successful.

Eastern Conference Chaos

Which team will finish the season with the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference and who will finish 5th -- out of the playoff action -- is anyone's guess. Washington, Connecticut, Atlanta and Chicago are all within a game of finishing anywhere from second to fifth in the standings. Connecticut is the most veteran of the group, the young Sky have the most upside, Washington is the most scrappy and the Dream are the Cinderella story.

League Gets An A+

The Institute For Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES) released their annual Racial and Gender Report Card late last month and the WNBA topped the charts, receiving an A+ in both categories for the second consecutive year.

"The WNBA remained as the best employer overall for women and people of color in sport," the institute’s director Dr. Richard Lapchick said. "They have set the standard for sport with their combined A+ grade."

And Finally…

Indiana's Yolanda Griffith called it quits on Aug. 5. Griffith, who suffered a season-ending Achilles' tendon tear in June, was a seven-time All-Star, a WNBA champion in 2005 and the 1999 MVP during her 11-year career, spent mostly with Sacramento.