Minnesota Fillies
Minnesota Fillies was member of the Women's Professional Basketball League from 1978-81. It was one of only 3 teams to play in all 3 seasons of the league.[1] The team's home court for its first two season was the Met Center and the Minneapolis Auditorium for its last.[2]
The WBL disbanded in 1981 because of financial problems throughout the league, mostly due to owners who did not pay their bills and who bounced several payroll checks to players and other employees.[3] In 1981, the Minnesota Fillies players who were promised paychecks by Commissioner Sherwin Fischer, only to have him not follow through, walked off the court in Chicago ten minutes before a scheduled game with the Hustle.[4] The game was not played despite a full house at DePaul Alumni Hall and the Fillies finished out the final few games of the 1980-81 season with replacement players.[1]
Season-by-season records
Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, % = Win–Loss %
| Season | W | L | % | Playoffs | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Fillies | |||||
| 1978-79 | 17 | 17 | .500 | ||
| 1979-80 | 22 | 12 | .647 | Won Quarter Finals Lost Semi Finals | 2-1 New Orleans 1-2 Iowa |
| 1980-81 | 7 | 28 | .200 | ||
| Totals | 46 | 57 | .447 | ||
| Playoffs | 3 | 3 | .500 | ||
Players[5]
(players' ages are referenced from the 1978-1979 season)
Brenda Chapman #15, Guard
- College: Western Kentucky University(WKU).
- Hometown: Olmstead, Kentucky
- Height 5'8", Age 23. WBL leading scorer 1978-79 season. All-American, National Scouting Association 1978, named to Outstanding Names and Faces of America 1978, Kentucky Athlete of the Month-Feb. 1978. Captain, leading scorer and MVP for WKU, All-Ohio Valley Conference Team 1978. KY State Tournament Team 1976-78, scoring a then school record 40 points. Female Athlete of the Year - Logan County, KY. 1974-78. College career 20.2 pts. average.
Accronetta "Neat" Cooper #42, Forward
- College: Claflin College, SC
- Hometown: Kingstree, SC
- Height 6', Age 22. SC AAU All-Star Team (Junior Olympian) 1972-78. Claflin College Rookie-of-the-Year 1973-74, MVP 1974-75, Best All Around Player 1975-76, All-Time Scorer 1976-77. SC Association of Intercollegiate Women All-Star Team 1977. College career 18 pts. and 15 rebounds average.
Cheryl Engel #24, Forward
- College: Mankato State University(MSU), MN
- Hometown: St. Louis Park, MN
- Height 5'10", Age 25. Starting center with MSU, Team State Champions 1975. Played on USA Olympic Volleyball Team 1975-1978, competed in Europe, Bulgaria, Santa Domingo and Japan. Won state competition in discus, shot put and javelin. College career 20 pts. and 10 rebounds average.
Peggie Jackson #12 Center/Forward
- College: Concordia State College, MN
- Hometown: Webb, MS.
- Height 5'11", Age 25. Concordia College MVP 1978, Team Captain, Concordia Invitational Tournament MVP 1978. All Opponent Team, St. Olaf College, MN 1978. Held then tournament, state and school rebound records. Career 17 pts. and 17 rebound average.
Carol Koopman #25, Forward/Center
- College: University of Minnesota-Morris
- Hometown: Grove City, MN
- Height 5'11", age 23. First woman in the history of the University of Minnesota to score 1,000 college career points in basketball. Captain of Morris team 1975-1977. Selected to Minn-Kota All Conference Basketball Team 1975-77. College career 15 pts. and 14 rebounds average.
Cynthia Lundberg #10
Maren Michaelson #21, Forward
- College: University of Minnesota-Morris
- Hometown: Dawson, MN
- Height 5'8", age 25. University of Minnesota-Morris Honor Athlete, 1975. Minn-Kota Conference Champions 1974, All-Conference Minn-Kota Team 1974-75. Masters of Science in Health, Physical Education and Recreation 1976. College career 12 pts. average.
Mary Morrish #53, Center
- College: Fort Hayes Kansas State College
- Hometown: Albuquerque, NM
- Height 6'1", age 27. Outstanding College Athlete of America, 1973, Iowa All-Star Team 1976, starting center for Sportsman's of Ankeny, Iowa; team placed 5th in National AAU competition 1975-76. Starting center for AAU Omaha City Basketball Champions 1977. College career 14 pts. and 10 rebounds.
Gretchen Pinz #14, Guard
- College: University of Minnesota-Duluth (UMD)
- Hometown: Isle, MN
- Height 5'7", age 24. Played with the All-American Red Heads 1976-77. Three years varsity basketball, graduated Cum Laude in Math.
Deb Prevost #10, Guard
- College: Eastern Montana College
- Hometown: Sidney, Mt.
- Height 5'7", age 22. All-American, National Scouting Association 1978. Small College National Championship 1975-78. Pan-American Games tryouts 1975-76. Team leading scorer three out of four years. Eastern Montana College Women's All-Time Scorer. College career 17 pts. average.
Patricia "Trish" Roberts #44, Center/Forward
- College: University of Tennessee
- Hometown: Monroe, GA.
- Height 6'1", age 23. USA Montreal Olympics 1976, Kodak All-American 1977. Street and Smith All-American, 1977. Captain of the USA National Team, 1978. University of Tennessee Female-Athlete-of-the-Year, 1977. MVP of East-West All-Star Game, member of the World University Team, 1977. MVP USA Olympic Developmental League 1975-76. College career 30 pts. and 14 rebounds average.
Lynnette Sjoquist #55, Center
- College: Golden Valley Lutheran College, MN
- Hometown: Cannon Falls, MN
- Height 6'1", age 25. Played for the All-American Red Heads 1974-78. Special interest in politics and sports promotion work. College career 15 pts., and 10 rebounds average.
Laurie Wilson #22, Guard/Forward
- College: University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB)
- Hometown: Hermosa Beach, Ca.
- Height 5'10", age 25. Varsity team at USCB, 1976–77, forward, UCSB Coaches Award, 1977. El Camino Junior College, 1974–75, team runner-up in Southern California JC Championship 1975. Team assist leader 1977-78. College career 18.5 pts. average.
Donna Wilson #33 Forward
- College: Gainesville Junior College, GA.
- Hometown: Monroe, GA.
- Height 5'7", age 21. College MVP 1975-76 and 1976-77. Honorable Mention Junior College All-American 1957-76. Regional Junior College All-Star Team 1976-77, Regional Championship Team 1976-77. Regional JC All-Tournament Team 1976-77. College Career 26 pts. average.
Coach[6]
Julia Yeater
- College coaching record: Two seasons (1976–77, 1977–78) at Western Kentucky University (45 wins, 17 losses)
- Age 29
- Master's Degree, University of Kansas at Lawrence
There were also women who played on the Semi Pro League Sponsored By Steve and Pro Baseballer Dave Winfield. Janelle D. Gibson 21 5'5 Minneapolis Community College, University of Minnesota, Kathy Burks 19,
President/General Manager[7]
J. Gordon Nevers
External Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Hugunin, Marc (2006). Minnesota Hoops: Basketball in the North Star State. United States: Minnesota Historical Society. p. 280. ISBN 9780873515740.
- ↑ Rippel, Joel A (2006). Minnesota Sports Almanac: 125 Glorious Years. United States: Minnesota Historical Society. p. 384. ISBN 9780873515580.
- ↑ http://www.funwhileitlasted.net/basketball/wpbl-galleries-1978-1981/
- ↑ Porter, Karra (2006). Mad Seasons: The Story of the First Women's Professional Basketball League, 1978-1981. United States: University of Nebraska Press. p. 352. ISBN 9780803287891.
- ↑ [Minnesota Fillies 1978-1979 Season Yearbook]
- ↑ [Minnesota Fillies 1978-1979 Season Yearbook]
- ↑ [Minnesota Fillies 1978-1979 Season Yearbook]