Miami Sol facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Miami Sol
Conference	Eastern
Leagues	WNBA
Founded	2000
Dissolved	2002
History	Miami Sol 2000–2002
Arena	American Airlines Arena
Location	Miami, Florida
Team colors	Fiery red, yellow, black, white
Head coach	Ron Rothstein

The Miami Sol was a professional women's basketball team from Miami, Florida. They joined the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) in the year 2000. The team played its games at the American Airlines Arena. They were like a sister team to the Miami Heat, a men's team in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Sadly, the Miami Sol team stopped playing after the 2002 season because they had money problems.

Team History

The city of Miami was chosen to have one of the first four new teams in the WNBA. This happened in June 1999. Other cities that got new teams were Indianapolis, Seattle, and Portland.

The Miami Sol had a coach named Ron Rothstein for all three seasons they played. In their first year, 2000, the team finished in sixth place in the Eastern Conference. Their record was 13 wins and 19 losses.

Playoff Appearance

In 2001, the team did much better! Players like Debbie Black, Elena Baranova, Sandy Brondello, Ruth Riley, and Sheri Sam helped them get a great record of 20 wins and 12 losses. This success led them to the playoffs for the first and only time in their history. They played against the New York Liberty but lost in three games.

After their playoff appearance, the Miami Sol finished the 2002 season with 15 wins and 17 losses.

Why the Team Ended

The 2002 season turned out to be the last for the Miami Sol. The team couldn't find enough money to keep playing. The WNBA had new rules about how teams should be set up, and the Sol couldn't meet them. So, the team officially closed down in January 2003.

When the team folded, its players were put into a special draft. This draft allowed other WNBA teams to pick them up. The Miami Sol ended its history with an even record: 48 wins and 48 losses.

Another team from Florida, the Orlando Miracle, also stopped playing after the 2002 season. That team moved to Connecticut and became the Connecticut Sun. Interestingly, the Connecticut Sun chose a team name and logo very similar to the Miami Sol.

Players After the Sol

Even though the Miami Sol team ended, many of its players went on to have great success with other teams.

• Ruth Riley joined the Detroit Shock and won two WNBA championships in 2003 and 2006.
• Betty Lennox and Sandy Brondello won a WNBA championship with the Seattle Storm in 2004. Betty Lennox was even named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the WNBA Finals that year!

Team Look and Name

Uniforms

The Miami Sol's away uniforms were a bright, fiery red. The team's name was written in white on the front. The letter "O" in "Sol" was replaced with a WNBA basketball. For their home games, the jerseys had the same design but with the colors swapped. So, the home jerseys were white with red writing.

Team Name Meaning

The team's nickname, "Sol," means "sun" in both Spanish and Portuguese. The name was announced on January 7, 2000. It was chosen to connect with Miami's large Hispanic population. It also fit well with their "brother" NBA team, the Miami Heat, because both names relate to warmth and the sun.

Notable Players

Here are some of the talented players who played for the Miami Sol:

• Marlies Askamp
• Elena Baranova
• Sandy Brondello
• Katrina Colleton
• Debbie Black
• Milena Flores
• Pollyanna Johns-Kimbrough
• Betty Lennox
• Carolyn Moos
• Vanessa Nygaard
• Kristen Rasmussen
• Ruth Riley
• Sheri Sam
• Iziane Castro Marques

Coaches and Staff

Head Coaches:

• Ron Rothstein (2000–2002)

General Managers:

• Ron Rothstein (2000–2002)

Assistant Coaches:

• Tony Fiorentino (2000–2002)
• Jenny Boucek (2000–2002)

TV Production:

• Marc Brody (2000–2002)

See also

In Spanish: Miami Sol para niños