This Tuesday, the seven fledgling teams of Women's Professional Soccer found out which "marquee" names they'll be able to tout in their towns. What these teams and players alike don't know is how much of a chance they'll really get. WPS is coming into existence in the shadow of one of the more spectacular sporting flameouts in recent memory, the now-dead WUSA, an outfit that managed to burn through some $60 million in its first year alone. And WUSA was a league with marquee names such as Mia Hamm and Julie Foudy that barely managed to attract 3,000 fans a game. WPS' biggest name is likely to be 'keeper Hope Solo. A confluence of factors beyond any commissioner's control — the global credit market meltdown, the slowing economy in America and the disappearing "disposable fan dollar" — also mean that WPS will make its debut next year in the midst of what is perhaps the most inhospitable time for any sports venture in America in the past twenty years. Did we mention that WPS is also selling women's sports? If your eyes are rolling up into your head at this point, you are not alone. WPS Commissioner Tonya Antonucci is under no illusions about how tough the road is, how few chances WPS will get, and how elusive success is.

Source: Jamie Trecker, Fox Sports