of lines of transverse conduction block. The occurrence of transverse conduction block, however, only rarely led to reentry, because fast longitudinal activation of the tissue distal to the line of block provided insufficient delay for the fibers proximal to the line of block to restore their excitability. Initiation of reentry was associated with the development of longitudinal arcs of conduction block during which the area distal to the line of block was activated by a slowly propagating transverse wavefront providing a longer delay for the proximal fibers to restore their excitability. In conclusion, thin layers of myocardium may provide a substrate for reentry because of enlargement of the effective area of anisotropy.much-publicized gold medal run by the 1996 USA Basketball Women's National Team at the 1996 Summer Olympic Games, the WNBA began its first season on June 21, 1997 to little fanfare. The first WNBA game featured the New York Liberty facing the Los Angeles Sparks in Los Angeles. The game was televised nationally in the United States on the NBC television network. At the start of the 1997 season, the WNBA had television deals in place with NBC (NBA rights holder), and the Walt Disney Company and Hearst Corporation joint venture channels, ESPN and Lifetime Television Network, respectively. Penny Toler scored the league's first point.

Houston domination and league expansion (1997–2000)

The WNBA centered its marketing campaign, dubbed "We Got Next", around stars Rebecca Lobo, Lisa Leslie, and Sheryl Swoopes.