Mad Seasons: The Story of the First Women's Professional Basketball League, 1978-1981As 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. ø Formed in 1978, the league included the not-so-storied Dallas Diamonds, Chicago Hustle, and Minnesota Fillies. Porter?s book takes us into the heart of the WBL as teams struggled with nervous sponsors, an uncertain fan base, and indifferent sportswriters. Despite bouncing paychecks, having to sleep on floors, and being stranded on road games, the players endured and thrived. ø 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. ø A story of hardship and sacrifice, but also of dedication and love for the game, Mad Seasons brings the WBL back to life and shows in colorful detail how this short-lived but pioneering league ignited the imagination of a new generation of female athletes and fans. |
Contents
Birth of a League | 1 |
1 The Lights Go Up | 13 |
2 Chance of a Lifetime | 22 |
3 A Mans Game | 35 |
4 In the Locker Room | 52 |
5 Playing by the Rules | 57 |
6 Working Hard for the Money | 73 |
7 Makeup Game | 87 |
14 OutofBounds | 167 |
15 Benched | 178 |
16 The Super Rookies | 186 |
17 Foul Play | 199 |
18 Suspended | 209 |
19 Home Court Disadvantage | 221 |
20 Final Buzzer | 230 |
21 Snapshots of the WBL | 246 |
Common terms and phrases
All-Star Almstead Anita Ortega Ann Meyers asked athletes basket basketball player Bill Byrne Breda Kolff Bruno called Carol Blazejowski Chicago Hustle Connie court Critelli Dallas Diamonds Dayton Dean Meminger DeBoer draft Dreams Easterling fans foul franchise Gail Marquis Geller George Nissen Gillman girls going Greg Williams Gulls guys high school Houston Angels interview Iowa Cornets Janie Fincher Jersey Gems Karen Logan Kocurek Kunzmann locker room look Meminger Milwaukee Minnesota Fillies Molly Bolin Nancy Lieberman never Nissen officials Olympic Orleans Pride owner Penquite play basketball Professional Basketball League quote rebounds recalls referee reported Rita Easterling Rockettes Rosie Walker San Francisco Pioneers says scoring season shooting shot Silcott SLPD smaller ball sportswriter Szeremeta teammates things tryout University wanted WBL players WBL's women's basketball Women's Pro Basketball Women's Professional Basketball wrote York Stars