New England Blizzard

New England Blizzard

Founded	1996
League	American Basketball League
Team history	1996–1998 (3 seasons)
Based in	Hartford, Connecticut
Arena	Hartford Civic Center (Capacity 15,418), Springfield Civic Center (Capacity 8,712)
Colors	Sky blue and White
Head coach	K. C. Jones (head coach), Belinda "Boe" Pearman (associate coach)[1]
Championships	none
Division titles	none

The New England Blizzard was a women's professional basketball franchise based in Hartford, Connecticut. The Blizzard was a charter member of the American Basketball League (ABL). Playing from 1996 through 1998, the team produced many memorable moments for New England basketball fans and followers of women's sports in general.

The Blizzard played most of its home games in the Hartford Civic Center, but occasionally the team played at the smaller Springfield Civic Center. Though they never won a title, the Blizzard consistently drew the most fans of any ABL franchise. This was partly because of the strong winning tradition established at the University of Connecticut, which built a large, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable base of local fan support for the women's game. Additionally, the Blizzard hired Boston Celtics legend K. C. Jones as head coach in 1997. Jones was easily the most widely recognized of the ABL coaches. Finally, the team featured several former Huskies.