San Francisco Pioneers | |
---|---|
Division | Western Division (1979–1980) Coastal Division (1980–1981) |
League | Women's Professional Basketball League |
Founded | 1979 |
Folded | 1981 |
History | San Francisco Pioneers 1979–1981 |
Arena | San Francisco Civic Auditorium (1979-1981) |
Location | San Francisco, CA |
Team colors | Columbia Blue, yellow, white |
The San Francisco Pioneers were an American professional basketball team that played two seasons in the Women's Professional Basketball League (WBL) from 1979 to 1981. [1] The first women's professional basketball team in San Francisco, California, it was owned by a stockbroker named Marshall Geller and partners, including Alan Alda and Mike Conners, and played its home games at the San Francisco Civic Auditorium. [2] Geller, who named the team, [1] and his ownership group acquired the basketball team for a $100,000 expansion fee. [2]
In their first season, the Pioneers roster was composed primarily of standout players who had competed at colleges and universities in California. [3] Coached by Frank LaPorte, the Pioneers finished their first regular season with an 18-18 record. After winning a first round playoff game against the Houston Angels, their season concluded after losing to the eventual WBL champion, the New York Stars. [1] Marshall Geller was named the WBL Owner of the Year. [4]
Anita Ortega, a graduate of University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), finished the Pioneers first season as the leading point scorer with 867 points, [5] an average of 24.1 points per game, [3] and the team's leader in assists, with 187. [5] Kim Hansen, a graduate of Grand Valley State, was the team's top rebounder, pulling down 383 rebounds, and Pat Mayo, a graduate of Montclair State, led the team in steals, with 199. [5]
Approximately two months into their second season, LaPorte was fired and replaced by a former National Basketball Association (NBA) player, Dean Meminger. During the previous season, Meminger, as the coach of the New York Stars, had won the WBL title. [2] The Pioneers finished their second, and final, season with a record of 14-22. [6] In their second season, "Machine Gun" Molly Bolin, a graduate of Grandview College, led the Pioneers in scoring, finishing with 733 points, [5] a 26.8 points per game average. [7] Doris Draving, a graduate of East Stroudsbourg State, led the team in rebounding, pulling down 314 rebounds, and Cardie Hicks, a graduate of California State University, Northridge, led the team in assists, with 126. [5]
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, W–L% = Winning percentage
Season | GP | W | L | W–L% | Finish | Playoffs |
1979–80 | 36 | 18 | 18 | .500 | 2nd, Western | Lost in semi-finals, 0–2 ( Stars) |
1980–81 | 36 | 14 | 22 | .389 | 4th, Coastal | DNQ |
WBL All-Pro team
WBL All-Star
San Francisco Pioneers | |
---|---|
Division | Western Division (1979–1980) Coastal Division (1980–1981) |
League | Women's Professional Basketball League |
Founded | 1979 |
Folded | 1981 |
History | San Francisco Pioneers 1979–1981 |
Arena | San Francisco Civic Auditorium (1979-1981) |
Location | San Francisco, CA |
Team colors | Columbia Blue, yellow, white |
The San Francisco Pioneers were an American professional basketball team that played two seasons in the Women's Professional Basketball League (WBL) from 1979 to 1981. [1] The first women's professional basketball team in San Francisco, California, it was owned by a stockbroker named Marshall Geller and partners, including Alan Alda and Mike Conners, and played its home games at the San Francisco Civic Auditorium. [2] Geller, who named the team, [1] and his ownership group acquired the basketball team for a $100,000 expansion fee. [2]
In their first season, the Pioneers roster was composed primarily of standout players who had competed at colleges and universities in California. [3] Coached by Frank LaPorte, the Pioneers finished their first regular season with an 18-18 record. After winning a first round playoff game against the Houston Angels, their season concluded after losing to the eventual WBL champion, the New York Stars. [1] Marshall Geller was named the WBL Owner of the Year. [4]
Anita Ortega, a graduate of University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), finished the Pioneers first season as the leading point scorer with 867 points, [5] an average of 24.1 points per game, [3] and the team's leader in assists, with 187. [5] Kim Hansen, a graduate of Grand Valley State, was the team's top rebounder, pulling down 383 rebounds, and Pat Mayo, a graduate of Montclair State, led the team in steals, with 199. [5]
Approximately two months into their second season, LaPorte was fired and replaced by a former National Basketball Association (NBA) player, Dean Meminger. During the previous season, Meminger, as the coach of the New York Stars, had won the WBL title. [2] The Pioneers finished their second, and final, season with a record of 14-22. [6] In their second season, "Machine Gun" Molly Bolin, a graduate of Grandview College, led the Pioneers in scoring, finishing with 733 points, [5] a 26.8 points per game average. [7] Doris Draving, a graduate of East Stroudsbourg State, led the team in rebounding, pulling down 314 rebounds, and Cardie Hicks, a graduate of California State University, Northridge, led the team in assists, with 126. [5]
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, W–L% = Winning percentage
Season | GP | W | L | W–L% | Finish | Playoffs |
1979–80 | 36 | 18 | 18 | .500 | 2nd, Western | Lost in semi-finals, 0–2 ( Stars) |
1980–81 | 36 | 14 | 22 | .389 | 4th, Coastal | DNQ |
WBL All-Pro team
WBL All-Star