NWBL

From Hoopedia

The National Women's Basketball League or NWBL is an professional basketball leagues for women in the United States. The league was originally founded in 1997 and began play in the Fall 1997. Currently the league has its own season during the off-season of the WNBA. During the WNBA off-season, some WNBA players play in the NWBL, while some choose to play overseas.

1 History
2 NWBL Pro League Teams
3 External Links

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History

In contrast to the ABL and the WNBA before it, the NWBL was originally founded to govern a competitive amateur league for women. The NWBL was founded in 1997, in the shadow of both the ABL and the WNBA. The league is considered to be the brainchild of Patrick Alexander and Kevin Szotkowski, who saw the rapid growth of women's athletics of the time and decided to go into the business of promoting women athletes. With the assistance of former college basketball players and NWBL co-founders Jolynn Schneider and Jeanine Michealsen, Alexander and Szotkowski launched an aggressive marketing campaign in the Fall of 1997 to recruit players and teams.

Although the recruitment campaign was not without its problems (including the death of Nick Johnson, co-founder of the marketing firm behind the league), the NWBL enrolled four teams by November and held its first championship series in December 1997. The first four teams enrolled were the San Diego Waves (considered to be the first NWBL team), the Columbus Lady Blazers, the Washington DC Defenders and the Long Beach Lightning. By the end of 2000, the league grew to encompass 600 players in 15 states and 26 cities.

The 2001 season was the first season for the NWBL Pro League, which now serves as the primary organization for the NWBL. The first four teams in the newly formed league were the Atlanta Justice, the Birmingham Power, the Mobile Majesty and the Kansas City Legacy. The league's first season ended in April 2001 with the Atlanta Justice winning the first NWBL Pro Cup.

Since 2001, the NWBL Pro League has played recruited such WNBA stars as Sheryl Swoopes, Sue Bird, Tamika Catchings and Becky Hammon.

The first team was in San Diego and the athletes who started this venture had a hard road ahead of them. They had to provide the funds for their uniforms and travel. Places to practice were non-existent, and they were lucky to have a place for the games. There were many struggles during the beginning season-the teams were coached by the players, then moved to using a team captain as the coach, and some teams finally hired outside coaches to step in and fill the bill. The players had some discontent so the league installed player representatives to the organization. This seemed to help the communication during that rough time. The first women to play should be commended for their efforts and for paving the road for the league to grow and develop. some of the first women in San Diego included Dottie Feeney, Jennifer, Terri Kane, Kelly Duell (Team Captain and Player Representaive), Nicole Anderson, Melissa, Cynthia.

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