1980–81 WBL season

3rd WBL season October 2023 1980–801 WBL season Women's Professional Basketball League Basketball 1980 – 1981 9 Draft 1980 WBL draft Nancy Lieberman Dallas Diamonds Regular season Nebraska Wranglers Rosie Walker (Nebraska Wranglers) Carol Blazejowski (New Jersey Gems Playoffs Finals Nebraska Wranglers Dallas Diamonds List of WBL seasons WBL 1979–80 WBL season 1979–80 The 1980–81 WBL season was the 3rd and final season of the Women's Professional Basketball League. The season ended with the Nebraska Wranglers winning the WBL Championship, beating the Dallas Diamonds 3 games to 2 in the WBL Finals.Nebraska tops Dallas to clinch WPBL title https://www.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune-nebraska-tops-dallas-to/133699153/ 19 October 2023 Chicago Tribune Associated Press 21 April 1981 5 (Section 4) Newspapers.com The league was divided into two divisions, with the Dallas Diamonds, New Jersey Gems, New Orleans Pride, San Francisco Pioneers and the New England Gulls in the Coastal Division and the Nebraska Wranglers, Chicago Hustle, St. Louis Streak and the Minnesota Fillies in the Central. Prior to the season, Tampa Bay Sun was announced as a planned expansion team.Dave Renbarger Sun rises on Tampa Bay horizon; WBL team has ball rolling https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tampa-times-sun-rises-on-tampa-bay-h/134243585/ 28 October 2023 The Tampa Times 15 August 1980 2C Newspapers.com However, before the start of the season the franchise was sold to business men from BostonTampa Bay Sun sold https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tampa-times-tampa-bay-sun-sold/134243737/ 28 October 2023 The Tampa Times 4 November 1980 2C Newspapers.com and rebranded as the New England Gulls.Patty LaDuca Gems trade pair; Meyers unhappy https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-herald-news-gems-trade-pair-meyers/134244100/ 28 October 2023 The Herald-News 15 November 1980 35 Newspapers.com Struggling financially, the Gulls where disqualified after 12 games in January 1981 after refusing to play a game on January 15 and subsequently folded.Gulls out of WBL https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-belleville-news-democrat-gulls-out-o/133699092/ 19 October 2023 The Belleville News-Democrat UPI 22 January 1981 D6 Newspapers.com Rosie Walker of the Nebraska Wranglers was named the league's MVP while Greg Williams and Michael Stavers of the Dallas Diamonds where named the Coach of the Year and the Owner of the Year.WPBL picks Rosie Walker best player https://www.newspapers.com/article/omaha-world-herald-wpbl-picks-rosie-walk/133561815/ 16 October 2023 Omaha World-Herald 9 May 1981 24 Newspapers.com Notable occurrences On June 16, 1980, Nancy Lieberman was selected with the first pick in the 1980 WBL draft.WBL draft no surprise; Nancy Lieberman first https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-times-news-wbl-draft-no-suprise-nan/133807305/ 21 October 2023 The Times-News UPI 17 June 1980 B4 Newspapers.com After sitting out the previous two seasons to keep her amateur status, Carol Blazejowski finally joined the league following the United States boycott of the 1980 Olympics, signing with the team that drafted her in 1978, the New Jersey Gems.Phil Pepe Carol, the Blaze, big loser in games boycott https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-carol-the-blaze-big-loser-i/133698695/ 19 October 2023 New York Daily News 24 January 1980 23CThe Blaze signs with Gems https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-pantagraph-the-blaze-signs-with-gems/133698786/ 19 October 2023 The Pantagraph Associated Press 29 October 1980 B1 Newspapers.com She went on to lead the league in scoring, averaging 29.6 points per game.Blaze vs. Lieberman highlights of playoffs https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-record-blaze-vs-lieberman-highlight/133699710/ 19 October 2023 The Record 3 April 1981 C4 Newspapers.com On February 7, 1981, Connie Kunzmann of the Nebraska Wranglers went missing.Bruce Brothers WBL, Women's Professional Basketball League, Connie Kunzmann https://www.newspapers.com/article/star-tribune-iowa-town-stunned-by-slayin/133806344/ 21 October 2023 Star Tribune 12 February 1981 1D, 5D Newspapers.comRon Rosen A Death Stuns the WBL https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1981/02/11/a-death-stuns-the-wbl/dff9c60c-1da1-408c-9fec-030eca098b8a/ 21 October 2023 The Washington Post 11 February 1981 Three days later, Lance Tibke, at the urging of his father, confessed to her murder. Seven weeks later, her body was found in the Missouri river.Guard pleads guilty to killing former Cornet https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-gazette-guard-pleads-guilty-to-killi/133806433/ 23 June 2021 The Gazette UPI 3C Newspapers.comChris Ballard You Really Should Know Connie Kunzmann https://www.si.com/wnba/2022/02/24/connie-kunzmann-wnba-daily-cover 21 October 2023 Sports Illustrated 24 February 2022 On March 21, 1981, players of the Minnesota Fillies walked off the court before the starting lineups were announced in an away game against the Chicago Hustle in a protest over unpaid salaries. Referees and team coach Terry Kunze tried to convince the players to return and play their game, but at no avail. As a result, the Fillies, which had been averaging 1,000 to 1,500 in attendance per game, were suspended from the WBL by commissioner Sherwin Fischer, who called the walkout as "very detrimental to the league".Fillies Walk Out And Draw a Suspension https://www.nytimes.com/1981/03/22/sports/sports-news-briefs-wbl-fillies-walk-out-and-draw-a-suspension.html 21 October 2023 The New York Times Associated Press 22 March 1981 Standings # Coastal Division Team W Games won L Games lost PCT Winning percentage GB Games behind1z-Dallas Diamonds 27 9 .750 –2x-New Jersey Gems 23 13 .639 43New Orleans Pride 18 19 .486 9.54San Francisco Pioneers 14 22 .389 135New England Gulls 2 10 .167 ... # Midwest Division Team W Games won L Games lost PCT Winning percentage GB Games behind1z-Nebraska Wranglers 27 9 .750 –2x-Chicago Hustle 18 18 .500 93St. Louis Streak 14 21 .400 12.54Minnesota Fillies 7 28 .200 19.5 Notes z – division champions x – clinched playoff spot Playoffs no Nebraska Wranglers 2 Chicago Hustle 0 Dallas Diamonds 2 New Jersey Gems 1 Nebraska Wranglers 3 Dallas Diamonds 2 Statistics leaders + Category Player Team Stat Points per game Carol Blazejowski New Jersey Gems 29.6 WBL awards Most Valuable Player: Rosie Walker, Nebraska Wranglers Coach of the Year: Greg Williams, Dallas Diamonds Owner of the Year: Michael Stavers, Dallas Diamonds All-Pro team First team Rosie Walker (Nebraska) Nancy Lieberman (Dallas) Carol Blazejowski (New Jersey) Althea Gwyn (Chicago) Inge Nissen (Chicago) Janice Thomas (New Jersey) Second team Cindy Haugejorde (San Francisco) Molly Bolin (San Francisco) Carol Chason (Nebraska) Rosalind Jennings (Dallas) Cindy Brogdon (New Orleans) Paula Mayo (Chicago) Trish Roberts (St. Louis) Source: References Category:Women's Professional Basketball League seasons