The rumbling around town Monday was that Tulsa could be losing its WNBA franchise.
Notice I used the word “rumbling.” No one is saying out loud that the Shock are leaving town.
But two sources familiar with the organization told the Frontier on Monday that the team is considering a move.
And we aren’t the only ones snooping around.
Mayoral Chief of Staff Jarred Brejcha said this afternoon that his office has received calls from a national newspaper asking whether the team is leaving.
Brejcha told The Frontier what he told the national media outlet.
“We are not in a position to confirm any of that,” he said. “No one has called us up and said it’s a done deal.”
Calls from The Frontier to two of the team’s owners, Stuart Price and David Box, had not been returned as of late Monday.
Brejcha said the city wants to see the team stay in Tulsa.
“We are glad they are here and they are a big part of the community,” he said.
The Shock has struggled to draw large crowds since moving to Tulsa from Detroit in 2009.
Last year, the team was last in the WNBA in attendance, drawing an average of 5,566 people a game. That was about 2,000 less than the league average.
This year the Shock is having one of its best seasons. The team is just a few percentage points behind the Minnesota Lynx for the lead in the Western Conference with a 10-4 record.
The team plays its games at the BOK Center downtown.
The Shock’s next scheduled game is on the road Wednesday against the Indiana Fever.
kevin@readfrontier.com
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