NoVA Wonders Begin Inaugural Season

Northern Virginia's first official basketball team, the , is based here in Chantilly at the Northern Virginia Sportsplex. The 12-man roster features several DC area natives, as well as players from as far as Trinidad and Houston, TX.

This past Sunday, Owner Jackie Smith and her team gained a 117-110 road victory over the Carolina Cheetahs in Greensboro, NC. Smith was happy about the win and is hoping to see more attendance and involvement from the community as the season goes progresses, especially with no NBA teams hitting the hardwood this fall.

"We haven't quite seen the support from the community that we'd hoped for yet, but we will," said Smith. "We have a great team, I think they represent the Northern Virginia area in terms of Chantilly, Springfield, Woodbridge and even Fredericksburg. We're hoping more people hear about us and come out and enjoy our games; its a high-scoring exciting game."

Tickets are just $7 for kids and $12 for adults, and the team is hoping that the lack of an NBA season will draw more fan support. 

The Wonders are coached by Dominic Manuel, an Alexandria native. From 2008-11, Manuel led the Alexandria Avengers of the Eastern Basketball Alliance and National Professional Basketball League to a .795 winning percentage and a 35-9 record, an experience that has made his transition to the ABA easier.

"We're just trying to get the guys some comraderie. I think it's coming along, said Manuel. "I'm impressed with what our guys are doing right now."

"We're pretty loaded in all areas, we're pretty athletic. Devin Rodgers is a real seasoned point guard, Joe Posey is a 3/4 Carmelo Anthony type of player and we have a young man that can shoot the lights out in Jed Marquez who played in Puerto Rico. We have a really good squad," Manuel said of his players.

Posey's name should be familiar to James Madison University grads, as the 6'6" guard spent some time there between 2004 and 2008. He's been one of their top offensive scoring threats thus far in the season and is happy, like his teammates and other players throughout the ABA, to still have a chance to play the game he loves professionally.

Manuel also pointed out that most players hold regular 9-5 jobs in addition to playing full-time for the team, which is why they hold practices late at night.

"Guys are pretty good about getting out there and taking care of business," Posey said. Like most of his teammates, the former Fredericksburg High School grad is happy to be playing professionally for Northern Virginia's first-ever professional basketball team. "Its a great opportunity for guys to be able to step in and bring a high level of basketball to the area and be able to travel around the country."

The Wonders' next game is on the road in New York City against the New York Charters on Saturday. The team then returns home for games at the Northern Virginia Sportsplex the following weekend.

You can keep up with the Wonders' schedule and events on their website.