Floods, baskets and Billie Jean King: how the rough and tumble WBL set the stage for the WNBA
Summary
The Women’s Professional Basketball League (WBL) was the first women’s pro basketball league in the U.S., running from 1978 to 1981. Despite lasting only three years, it featured many talented players and helped set the foundation for today’s WNBA.Key Facts
- The WBL started in 1978 and folded after the 1980-81 season, lasting just three years.
- The Dallas Diamonds had the first draft pick in 1980 and chose Nancy Lieberman, a star American point guard.
- The league included 17 future Hall of Famers and nine Olympians among its players.
- Molly Bolin Kazmer was the first player signed by the WBL and was a high-scoring shooting guard.
- Attendance at games varied, with some nights drawing as few as 700 fans and others up to 3,500.
- The WBL was founded by Bill Byrne and had teams in cities like Chicago, Houston, and Des Moines.
- The league struggled financially and with team stability, similar to earlier leagues like the ABA.
- Although short-lived, the WBL created a professional space for female basketball players before the WNBA existed.
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