For men's college basketball players, the list of spots where a guy can keep his game sharp during the summer is plentiful.

There's the Division I-heavy Pittsburgh Basketball Club Summer Pro-Am League, the Connie Hawkins League and the North Park League, just to name a few.

But for a woman, there's only one league in town. But girl, it sure is filled with talent.

Having just completed yet another season Tuesday night, the Citiparks/IBA Women's Summer Basketball League is the queen of the summer courts in Western Pennsylvania. Since June 21, players from Division I programs such as Pitt and Duquesne to those from smaller schools such as Chatham and La Roche had run the floor at the Market House on the South Side, adding their names to an already star-studded, who's-who list of players who did the same.

"All the good players have come through this league. A lot of pros have come through here," said league director Monica Williams, who is also the girls' coach at Winchester Thurston.

Williams is right. Check out this list: Swin Cash, Tanisha Wright, Shavonte Zellous, Ashley Battle, Kamela Gissendanner, Jess Strom and Jessica Brungo, to name a few.

This year's crop of talent included many local products, including a bunch who played in the best-of-three championship series, won by Pin Heads over The Blitz. Among those suiting up for Pin Heads, who won the decisive third game, 61-51, were Shayla Scott (Gateway), Emily Correal (Peters Township) and April Austin (North Catholic). The Blitz featured Jackie Babe (Mt. Lebanon), Alex Gensler (Upper St. Clair) and Lindsey Primyon (North Catholic).

Scott, a junior at Pitt, said playing in the league provided a much-welcomed change to the rugged nature of Division I.

"It's just nice to play in a relaxed league," she said. "There's not as much structure and you can just go out and do your thing. And it's nice to have that bond when you play with girls you usually play against."

It wasn't too long ago when the league's popularity was far from where it is now. Williams played in it years back when it was known as the WPBA. There was just a handful of teams and the talent was sparse.

But in the past decade, much has changed. More and more players jumped on board and, before long, other leagues were phased out.

Citiparks, where Williams has worked for 18 years, now operates the league, along with the Impact Basketball Association, an organization that helps inner-city youths realize their basketball goals. A record 15 teams participated this year and the talent level was as strong as any point in league history.

"It was a good league back then, but the caliber of players has really grown since." Williams said.

Players ranging in age from incoming college freshmen to a few who play professionally overseas took the court this year. Games were played Sunday through Thursday, all at the Market House, a recently renovated facility that Williams called "one of the best gyms in the city." Each team played 14 regular-season games, plus additional playoff games.

The makeup of the teams varied. NCAA Division I rules mandated that no more than two returning players from one school -- incoming freshman excluded -- could play on a particular team. Thus, those schools had to spread around their players.

But that was far from the case for others, as schools such as Washington & Jefferson, La Roche, Pitt-Greensburg, Chatham and Point Park, had all of their players on one team. AAU teams full of incoming freshmen, such as PA Swoosh and Tri-State Elite, also competed.

It's a format that has made for some interesting matchups. One team may have a significant talent advantage over an opponent, but if that opponent is made up of players accustomed to playing with each other, the playing field can be leveled quickly.

The increased talent level and parity within the league led Williams to expand the playoff field, all while continuing to get rave reviews from the participants.

"I've got the biggest feedback this year. People love the fact there's more competition," Williams said.

Added Scott: "It's always really competitive. Anybody can go down on any given night."

No need to tell Williams that. She coached Sudden Impact to a 14-0 record, before falling in the first round of the playoffs.