Women's Professional Basketball League 1978-1981

Women’s Professional Basketball League (1978-1981)

Tombstone

Formed: 1978
Disbanded: Late 1981

First Game: December 9, 1978
Last Game: April 20, 1981

Seasons: 3
States & Provinces: 13 + District of Columbia
(CA, DC, IA, IL, MA, MN, MO, NE, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TX, WI)

Leadership

Trophy Case

Women’s Basketball League Most Valuable Player

YEARPLAYERPOSITIONTEAM
1978-79Rita EasterlingGuardChicago Hustle
1979-80 (Shared)Molly BolinGuardIowa Cornets
1979-80 (Shared)Ann MeyersGuard-ForwardNew Jersey Gems
1980-81Rosie WalkerCenter-ForwardNebraska Wranglers

 

Women’s Basketball League Coach of the Year

YEARPLAYERTEAM
1978-79
1979-80Dean MemingerNew York Stars
1980-81Greg WilliamsDallas Diamonds

 

Editor's Pick

mad seasons

The Story of the First Women’s Professional Basketball League, 1978-1981

by Karra Porter

As the popularity of women’s basketball burgeons, Karra Porter reminds us in Mad Seasons that today’s Women’s National Basketball Association, or WNBA, had its origins in a ragtag league twenty years earlier. Porter tells the story of the Women’s Professional Basketball League WBL, which pioneered a new era of women’s sports.
 
Karra Porter brings to life the pioneers of the WBL: “Machine Gun” Molly Bolin, who set lasting scoring records—then faced an historic custody battle because of her basketball career; Connie Kunzmann, a popular player whose murder rocked the league; Liz Silcott, whose remarkable talents masked deeper problems off the court; Ann Meyers, who went from an NBA tryout to the league she had rebuffed; Nancy Lieberman, whose flashy play and marketing savvy were unlike anything the women’s game had ever seen.
 
When you make a purchase through an affiliate link like this one, Fun While It Lasted earns a commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!

 

Background

The Women’s Professional Basketball League was the first attempt to launch a nationwide professional basketball league for women. The league was a creation of sports promoter Bill Byrne, who had previous involvement in start-up ventures such as the World Football League (1974-1975) and the American Professional Slo-Pitch League (1977-1980).

The WPBL debuted on December 9th, 1978 with a game between the Milwaukee Does and the Chicago Hustle at the MECCA  Arena in Milwaukee.  Attendance was poor and media coverage was scant in many cities, but the league managed to complete its first season with all eight franchises intact.  There were also bright spots.  The Chicago Hustle drew a loyal crowd and broadcast games on WGN-TV.  The Iowa franchise was terrific on the court and developed a state-wide following, touring various gyms and arenas around the state in a custom 1964 Greyhound called “the Corndog”.  The expansion San Francisco Pioneers were well managed and well attended.

The wheels started to come off during the WPBL’s second season in the winter of 1979-80. Ramshackle clubs in California, Philadelphia and Washington D.C. folded without completing their schedules and a fourth – Dallas – was narrowly saved after its original owner bailed. Following the season, four more teams dropped out.

Demise

The league returned for a third and final season in 1980-81, but was plagued by more of the same problems.  Players struck over unpaid wages in New England and Minnesota and the league lost another team in mid-season when the New England Gulls went belly up.  The Nebraska Wranglers won the final WPBL championship in April 1981.  The league quietly shut down in stages over the months that followed, never formally announcing its demise.  It just faded away.

The 1979-1981 WPBL is also sometimes referred to simply as the Women’s Basketball League or WBL.

 

Women’s Basketball League Franchise list

FRANCHISEYEARS ACTIVEWBL CHAMPIONS
California Dreams1979-1980Never
Chicago Hustle1978-1981Never
Dallas Diamonds1979-1981Never
Dayton Rockettes1978-1979Never
Houston Angels1978-19801979
Iowa Cornets1978-1980Never
Milwaukee Does1978-1980Never
Minnesota Fillies1978-1981Never
Nebraska Wranglers1980-19811981
New England Gulls1980-1981Never
New Jersey Gems1978-1981Never
New Orleans Pride1979-1981Never
New York Stars1978-19801980
Philadelphia Fox1979Never
St. Louis Streak1979-1981Never
San Francisco Pioneers1979-1981Never
Washington Metros1979Never

 

Archives

1978-79 Women’s Professional Basketball League Brochure

1978-79 Women's Professional Basketball League Brochure

 

February 9, 1981 Women’s Basketball League All-Star Game Program @ Albuquerque, NM

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Comments

5 Responses

  1. As I look through the photos of the New Orleans Pride I am sad, because I see no pictures of key players. I was a key player for this team. But of course like all the colleges I attend on a basketball scholarship, they failed to recognize players like myself as outstanding role models for the program. I wonder is it because I came from a small high school in the state of Mississippi

  2. I played for the Chicago Hustle the first two years. I was wondering why it is the only team without a program or information. I have several pieces of memorabilia. Please update Chicago’s link. I am sure Doug Bruno, the original coach and current Depaul Women’s basketball coach has information as well. Please update the Chicago Hustle page…it would be greatly appreciated by the Hustle players.

  3. I too played in the WBL in 1997 which ran the year leading up to the WNBA. Our team was the Minnesota Stars. I recently threw out our team passes. Are ther no records of this league. There were teams in Memphis, Va., Chicago and our pay was $50.

    if others are out there ,I would love to write more about the history of women professional basketball players before the WNBA.

    Ronnie. [email protected]

  4. I would love to see footage of my mom playing. She’s always told me stories of her time as a Dallas Diamond.

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