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League founder Toni Roesch thinks this might be the best season for the Worthington Women's Summer Basketball League.

In its third season, the WWSBL has 14 teams and will play an 11-game schedule. The openers were June 20, with all games being played at the Ohio Sports Plus Training Academy, which Roesch also founded. The facility is at 535 Lakeview Plaza Blvd., Worthington.

"I think this is as good of a level of competition as we've ever had," Roesch said. "I'm totally impressed with the level of play. We've just got some phenomenal players, and not only from Division I, but all the way down to Division III."

There were 13 teams a year ago, with HER-Cooper earning the tournament championship by beating defending champion Circle Express 38-29 in the final. The league is up by one team this year, and Roesch said she sees further expansion in the future.

"We're going to maybe expand for next year," she said. "It's safe to say we're looking for the future for years to come. I can't give an exact number of teams, but we've got individuals on a waiting list and we had a coupe teams we did have to turn away (this year)."

There is a level of expectation for teams and individuals.

"It's an opportunity for teams and players to improve," Roesch said. "(The players) are also familiar with it, so now the expectations are fairly high, so they come in ready to play. There's more and more people coming and watching, also. It's a great opportunity."

Roesch played for Ohio State from 1983-86 and was a captain and second-team all-Big Ten as a senior. She played on four conference championship teams. She had a short stint as an assistant at Ohio State and also has coached at Marietta College and Hartley High School, her alma mater.

"There are some phenomenal players in central Ohio," Roesch said. "You have to have a concept and have to have an idea, or purpose, in all honesty. The whole purpose of this facility is for the kids from all levels to have a place to go, or a home, to showcase what they have. It's fun for me to sit back and watch it all come about. It's even more exciting for me to watch the younger kids have the opportunities."

There are 11 current or future Ohio State players in the league, including Ashley Allen, Star Allen (Independence), Stephanie Blanton (Lancaster), Tomeka Brown, Candace Dark, Jessica Davenport (Independence), Brandie Hoskins, Alice Jamen, Debbie Merrill, Marscilla Packer (Pickerington North) and Tamarah Riley.

Davenport led HER-Cooper last year. She had just three points in the final, but totaled 23 as HER-Cooper beat previously undefeated Under the Rim 67-50 in a semifinal.

Davenport averaged 19.3 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.3 blocks for Ohio State last year as the Buckeyes finished 30-5. She was first-team all-American.

Hoskins led HER-Cooper in the final last year with 10 points. She averaged 13.2 points for the Buckeyes last year. Davenport (6-foot-5) and Merrill (6-1) should provided a formidable presence for HER-Henry this season. Merrill is a transfer from Cincinnati, where in 2002 she was the Conference USA Freshman of the Year. She was honorable mention all-America in 2003.

Merrill joined Circle Express at midseason last year and helped the team reach the championship game despite entering the postseason as a No. 4 seed.

Some of central Ohio's best talent plays in the league, including Ralphie Beal (Columbus School for Girls, Findlay), Jenna Brader (DeSales, Otterbein), Tiffany Byrd (Brookhaven, Ohio University), Chelsea Callif (Bexley, Otterbein), Carlesha Chambers (Brookhaven, Rio Grande), Kathleen Cooper (Upper Arlington, Ohio Wesleyan), Michele DeVault (Upper Arlington, East Tennessee State), Lauren Fazio (Westerville South, Ohio Wesleyan), Stephanie Foster (Brookhaven, Florida A&M), Jessica Gibbons (Worthington Kilbourne, John Carroll), Danielle Holbrook (Pickerington, Otterbein), Erin Isbell (Westerville North, Ohio University), Michelle Keeney (Westerville North, Otterbein), Lindsay Macklin (Bexley, Ohio Wesleyan), Kristin Peoples, (Brookhaven, Arkansas), Jenna Schone (Pickerington Central, Miami) and Courtney Thomas (Reynoldsburg, University of Charleston, W.Va.).