The National Women's Basketball Association (NWBA) was an American women's basketball league that intended to play its first full regular season in 1986–87. Headquartered in Lake Wylie, South Carolina—a suburb of Charlotte, North Carolina—and owned by Howard Hanson, the league planned to start with eight teams, primarily in the Southeastern United States. It struggled to sign marquee players because of concerns about its amateur status and consequent effects on Olympic eligibility, and ticket sales were slow. While several exhibitions were held, a key financial backer failed to fulfill his commitment, and no regular-season games were played. The league, indebted, formally canceled the season by the end of 1986.