[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 80 (Thursday, June 18, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1170]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


WELCOMING THE FIRST-EVER DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA WNBA TEAM--THE WASHINGTON 
                                MYSTICS

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 18, 1998

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to welcome the first-ever D.C. 
Women's National Basketball Association team to our nation's capital. 
This moment comes on top of other news that the District for the first 
time received acclaim as the best place to live in the East from Money 
Magazine. Together these firsts affirm that Washington, D.C. is truly a 
special city, and not only because D.C. is our nation's capital.
  Tomorrow, I will join thousands of fans at the MCI Center to see our 
first home game against Utah. The District is very proud of this team, 
which will be led by standout shooting guard Nikki McCray, the lead 
scorer on the 1996 gold medal winning U.S. Olympic team. Head Coach Jim 
Lewis promises a full-court offense, using the fast break and 
aggressive defense, which are sure to be exciting viewing for the fans 
here in Washington.
  I would also like to commend and thank team owner, Abe Pollin, Irene 
Pollin and Susan O'Malley, president of the Mystics organization, for 
their vision and commitment to making women's professional basketball a 
reality here in the District.
  This team is important to the fans here in the District, including 
the many young girls among them who look to these outstanding women 
athletes as role models. Last year, we celebrated the 25th anniversary 
of Title IX and today the fruits of this achievement are being 
recognized. This important legislation contributed in large part to the 
participation of more than 100,000 women in intercollegiate athletics 
in 1997, a fourfold increase since 1971. In the 1996 Summer Olympic 
Games, American women won a record 19 Olympic medals. Thousands of 
women today, including many WNBA players have benefitted from athletic 
scholarships that simply were unheard of before Title IX. The number of 
girls participating in high school athletics has risen from fewer than 
300,000 in 1971 to 2.4 million today. Girls' participation in high 
school basketball increased 300% from 1971 to 1995! Research suggests 
that girls who participate in sports are more likely to experience 
academic success and to graduate from high school than those who do not 
play sports. Half of all girls who participate in sports experience 
higher-than-average levels of self-esteem and less depression.
  We welcome the Washington Mystics' team--Nikki McCray, Heidi Burge, 
Deborah Carter, Keri Chaconas, Tammy Jackson, Penny Moore, Murriel 
Page, Alessandra Santos de Oliveira, Adreinne Shuler, Leila de Souza 
Sobral, and Rita Williams. We look forward to their contributions to 
the community and to the basketball profession. Go Mystics!

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