Lyons roots for WNBA in Denver.(Charlie Lyons, president of Ascent Entertainment Group Inc.; Women's National Basketball Association)

Nuggets' owner would like a franchise here

The owner of the Denver Nuggets and builder of the new Pepsi Center sports arena would like to offer professional women's basketball in its brand new venue, as well as men's.

But Ascent Entertainment Group Inc., while applauding Denver's existing women's team and its league, the Colorado Xplosion of the American Basketball League, would rather see a Nuggets sister squad from the fledgling Women's National Basketball Association play in its $165 million Pepsi Center. The WNBA's chances of fielding a Denver team may be enhanced, too, by the fact that Ascent President Charlie Lyons sits on the WNBA board.

"The ABL is a heck of a product," said Lyons. "But our goal is that someday there will be a WNBA team in every city where there's an NBA team. Someday we'll have it here, and it will be great to have it in the Pepsi Center."

Other sports-business authorities, including marketing guru Dean Bonham of the Denver-based Bonham Group, also wouldn't be surprised to see a Denver WNBA team supplant the ABL in the next 18 months or so. While both leagues have attracted top talent from the Olympics and …