UFWBA Franchise Auction Sells Out All 12 Teams
It was a frenzied end to the bidding, but all twelve teams in the Ultimate Fantasy Women's Basketball Association have sold out, as the first women's sports league on the UFF Sports platform is officially underway!
The top three bidders - led by former WNBA player and current college coach Sylvia Crawley - all registered bids in the last few hours, with the top two bidders one-upping one another to gain the rights to the no. 1 overall pick in the upcoming Veteran Players Draft.
Including Sylvia, who is now the proud owner of the no. 1 overall pick, the auction brought three new franchise owners into the UFF Sports ecosystem: Indera S. (who registered 34 prospects in the UFBA Futures Auction), with the sixth overall pick, and Savanna Hamilton with the twelfth overall pick.
Several of the UFBA's franchise owners joined in on the action as well, as the Skyhooks, Underdogs, Lucky 13s, Majesty, Slashers, Renegades, and Redbacks all decided to pair their existing teams with the launch of women's basketball.
Kevin Lewis, Director of Women's Basketball for UFF Sports and Commissioner of the UFWBA, was very happy with the excitement around the new addition to the UFF platform.
"I am proud that the franchise auction went extremely well, and it was exciting at the end with our bidders fighting for top position in the upcoming Player Draft," said Lewis. "We made history today, and that is something to be proud of. I wish every new team luck this season!"
Head of Basketball Operations Sho Alli also weighed in on the franchise auction, following another successful league has been launched on UFF Sports.
"It's always exciting to usher in a new era of sport, but doubly so when we get to welcome the first women's sport into the UFF family of franchises and leagues," said Alli. "I'm really looking forward to seeing the creative branding and names that the 12 teams will create prior to the season opener!"
Franchises will draft their teams from the existing pool of WNBA players in the Veteran Player Draft, and will bid on the stars of the future in the Top Prospects Auction following the WNBA Draft on April 11. The season itself - in both the WNBA and UFWBA - tips off on Friday, May 6.