It is 45 years since the Women’s Professional Basketball League (WBL) played its final game, but its legacy paved the way for today’s stars. The league, which ran from 1978 to 1981, was the first women’s professional basketball league in the United States, featuring 17 future Hall of Famers and nine Olympians.
One memorable moment came before the 1980 draft, when Dallas Diamonds GM Nancy Nichols dangled a note from her hotel window to convince coach Greg Williams to pick Nancy Lieberman. The team owner, Mike Staver, arrived late and selected Lieberman, who went on to win Rookie of the Year.
Despite its groundbreaking nature, the WBL struggled. Nichols recalled games drawing as few as 700 fans, though crowds grew to 3,500 in Dallas. The league expanded too quickly, and it folded after the 1980-81 season, with its last game on 20 April 1981.
Three-time All-Star Molly Kazmer, the first player signed by the league, described the importance of the WBL: “I can’t describe what it’s like to be a pro without a league.” She averaged 32.8 points per game in her second season and earned co-MVP honours.
The WBL’s success in Iowa was partly due to the state’s early support for women’s sports, including the formation of the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union in 1925. This legacy continues today with stars like Caitlin Clark.
