|
New Orleans Pride (basketball)
The New Orleans Pride was a women's professional basketball team located in New Orleans, United States, that competed in the Women's Professional Basketball League, the first women's pro league in the United States, from 1979 to the leagues folding following the 1980-81 WBL season. For both seasons, the team was coached by former NBA player and coach Butch Van Breda Kolff. Franchise history Background The Pride where founded by 32-year old stockbroker Steve Brown, John W. Simpson and his wife Claudette Simpson. 1979–1980 The Pride's 1979–80 WBL season, 1979–80 season debut was on 15 November, 1979, where the New York Stars (WBL), New York Stars defeated the Pride, 120-112, before a record crowd of 8,452 in the Louisiana Superdome. After starting the season in the Western Division, the team was moved to the Eastern Division following the folding of Washington Metros (WBL), Washington Metros and the Philadelphia Fox. The Pride finished the season with a 21–13 record, good for ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Women's Professional Basketball League
The Women's Professional Basketball League (abbreviated WBL) was a professional women's basketball league in the United States. The league played three seasons from the fall of 1978 to the spring of 1981. The league was the first professional women's basketball league in the United States. Formation and 1978–79 season The WPBL was founded by sports entrepreneur Bill Byrne (sports entrepreneur), Bill Byrne. The league began with a player draft held in Manhattan's JW Marriott Essex House, Essex House in July 1978, with eight teams participating. While few of the teams had firm commitments on playing locations (or team names, for that matter), the league planned to play a 34-game season with teams in Chicago, Houston, Iowa, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, New Jersey, New York City and Washington, D.C. Houston drafted Ann Meyers from University of California, Los Angeles, UCLA, while New Jersey's top choice Carol Blazejowski of Montclair State University, Montclair State College said tha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |