The Colorado Chill were a professional women's basketball

Women's basketball

Women's basketball is one of the few women's sports that developed in tandem with its men's counterpart. It became popular, spreading from the east coast of the United States to the west coast , in large part via women's colleges...

 team playing in the National Women's Basketball League

National Women's Basketball League

The National Women's Basketball League, often abbreviated to the NWBL, was an organization governing professional basketball leagues for women in the United States. The league was founded in 1997 and began play in the Fall of that year. The league used to have its own season during the off-season...

 (NWBL) from 2004-2006. Based in Loveland

Loveland, Colorado

Loveland is a Home Rule Municipality that is the second most populous city in Larimer County, Colorado, United States. Loveland is situated north of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. Loveland is the 14th most populous city in Colorado. The United States Census Bureau that in 2010 the...

, Colorado

Colorado

Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...

, they were Colorado's second and longest-lived women's pro basketball team. The Chill won the final two championships of the NWBL, which folded in 2007.

In 2007, investors attempted to and failed to raise enough money so that the team could join the Women's National Basketball Association

Women's National Basketball Association

The Women's National Basketball Association is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. It currently is composed of twelve teams. The league was founded on April 24, 1996 as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association...

 (WNBA) for the 2008 season.

Franchise history

The Chill played in every league championship game and won back-to-back championships in 2005 and 2006. They were undefeated on their home court for 26 games until losing to the San Diego Siege on February 14, 2006. They compiled a 47-18 record for a .723 winning percentage and never finished out of first place in the regular season. Star players for the Chill included Ruth Riley

Ruth Riley

Ruth Ellen Riley is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Silver Stars in the Women's National Basketball Association . Her Notre Dame team won the NCAA women's championship in 2001, and her Detroit Shock team won the WNBA championship in 2003 and 2006...

, Katie Cronin, and Becky Hammon

Becky Hammon

Rebecca Lynn "Becky" Hammon is a professional basketball player currently under contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars of the WNBA.-Early life:...

.

NWBL Team Records

Season	W	L	Win %	Result
2004	15	6	.714	Regular Season Champions
2005	16	8	.667	NWBL Champions
2006	16	4	.800	NWBL Champions

End

On June 19, 2006 the Chill's owner, Dave King, announced that the Chill would not play in the NWBL's 2007 season. He said that the league and other owners owed him money, and that the league did not have adequate prospects for financial stability.http://www.coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060619/SPORTS/60619006 The league later disbanded before the 2007 season started, making the Chill the final champions.

2007: Attempt to join the WNBA

On March 16, 2007, King announced that he raised most of the $15 million needed to revive the Chill as an expansion team in the WNBA for the 2008

2008 WNBA season

-Season Highlights:*Candace Parker becomes the second and third player in WNBA history to dunk in a regular season game.*A fight breaks out between the Los Angeles Sparks and the Detroit Shock resulting in four ejections and ten suspensions....

 season.http://www.coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070316/NEWS01/703160335/1002 Kroenke Sports Enterprises, owner of the NBA's Denver Nuggets

Denver Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...

, expressed active interest in hosting some of the Chill's games, in Denver, at the Pepsi Center

Pepsi Center

Pepsi Center is a multi-purpose arena in Denver, Colorado, United States. The building is home to the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association, the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League, and the Colorado Mammoth of the National Lacrosse League...

. On September 12, 2007, however, it was announced that the Chill would not be an expansion team for the 2008 season due to the lack of funds raised.