The 1978 WBL draft was the 1st annual draft of the Women's Professional Basketball League (WBL).[1] The draft was held on July 18, 1978, at the Essex House in New York City, New York,[2] before the 1978–79 season.

1978 WBL draft
General information
SportBasketball
Date(s)July 18, 1978
LocationEssex House (New York City, New York)
Overview
80 total selections in 5 rounds
LeagueWBL
First selectionAnn Meyers (Houston)
Rita Easterling (Chicago)
1979 →

The draft consisted of a five-round college phase of 1978 seniors and a five-round draft of free agents.[2][3]

Draft selections and draftee career notes

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Several players decided against signing with the WBL to keep their Olympics eligibility ahead of the 1980 Olympics. Ann Meyers from UCLA was selected first overall by the Houston Angels[4] but decided against signing with the Angels to keep her amateur status. However, in the fall of 1979, Meyers signed a no-cut $50,000 training camp contract with the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association. After being cut by the Pacers before the start of the regular season, she finally joined the WBL and signed with the New Jersey Gems. Carol Blazejowski also decided to keep her amateur status and did not join the league until the 1980–81 season, following the United States boycott of the 1980 Olympics.[5][6]

Few of the selections where of the promotional aspect and never played a game in the WBL. The New York Stars selects CBS-Sports host Phyllis George with their last pick of the free agent draft. The Iowa Cornets selected 6'11" Gwen Bachman Hayes and the Chicago Hustle selected Sandy Allen, the world's tallest woman at 7'7".[7]

The lone pick from outside the United States was Uljana Semjonova of the Soviet Union.[8]

Pos. G F C
Position Guard Forward Center
^ Denotes player who has been inducted to the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
+ Denotes player who has been selected for at least one All-Star Game
x Denotes player who has been selected for at least one All-WBL Team
# Denotes player who has never appeared in an WBL regular season or playoff game

College draft

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Chicago Hustle

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Round Player Pos. Nationality School/club team
1 Janie Fincher   United States UNLV
2 JoAnn Burrell[9]   United States Boise State
3 Judy Toiberg   United States Trinity-Illinois
5 Jane Trippet   United States Cal State-Sacramento

Houston Angels

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Round Player Pos. Nationality School/club team
1 Ann Meyers G   United States UCLA
2 Belinda Candler   United States UNLV
3 Marie Kocurek C   United States Wayland Baptist
4 Patty Bubrig   United States Nicholls State
5 Pat Johnson   United States Stephen F. Austin

Iowa Cornets

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Round Player Pos. Nationality School/club team
1 Charlotte Lewis C   United States Illinois State[10]
2 Doris Draving C   United States East Stroudsburg
3 Monica Havelita   United States Cal State-Long Beach
4 Debra Thomas   United States Miami Dade-South
5 Theresa Thompson   United States Prairie View A&M

Milwaukee Does

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Round Player Pos. Nationality School/club team
1 Sarah Williams C   United States Southeastern[11]
2 Heidi Nestor   United States UCLA
3 Linda Gehrke   United States Colorado
4 Debbie Brock PG   United States Delta State
5 Cindy Lundberg   United States Eastern Kentucky

Minnesota Fillies

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Round Player Pos. Nationality School/club team
1 Ramona von Boeckman[12] G   United States Delta State
2 Jackie Langley   United States Tampa
3 Peggy Jackson[13]   United States Concordia College
4 Melody Neumeister   United States Milligan
5 Deb Provost   United States Eastern Montana

New Jersey Gems

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Round Player Pos. Nationality School/club team
1 Carol Blazejowski F   United States Mountclair State
2 Denise Burdick   United States Immmaculata
3 Tara Heiss PG   United States Maryland
4 Maggie Nelson   United States Stanford
5 Wanda Szeremeta[14]   United States Montclair State

New York Stars

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Round Player Pos. Nationality School/club team
1 Althea Gwyn C   United States Queens College
2 Marnie Dacko C   United States Southern Connecticut
3 Dawn Forster   United States Cortland State
4 Susan Bretthauer   United States St. Johns, New York
5 Lynda Lyman   United States Cortland State

Dayton Rockettes

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Round Player Pos. Nationality School/club team
1 June Brewer   United States Ohio State
2 Tina Price[15] G/F   United States University of Georgia
3 Donna Forester   United States Clemson
4 Vivian Greene   United States Norfolk State
5 Felicia Payne   United States Dubuaue

Free agent draft

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Chicago Hustle

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Round Player Pos. Nationality School/club team
1 Rita Easterling G   United States Mississippi
2 Janice Fuller   United States UNLV
3 Liz Hannah[16]   United States Middle Tennessee
4 Sandy Allen C   United States N/A
5 Alice Townsend   United States Mississippi College

Houston Angels

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Round Player Pos. Nationality School/club team
1 Lusia Harris C   United States Delta State
2 Doris Felderhoff C   United States Stephen F. Austin
3 Gail Dobson   United States Tennessee
4 Jessie Kenlaw   United States Savannah State
5 Doris Horace   United States Prairie View A&M

Iowa Cornets

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Round Player Pos. Nationality School/club team
1 Gwen Bachman Haynes C   United States Oauchita Baptist
2 Anita Green   United States Charleston, S.C. College
3 Paula Dean   United States Berry College
4 Kathy Hawkins   United States Nebraska
5 Uljana Semjonova C   Soviet Union TTT Riga

Milwaukee Does

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Round Player Pos. Nationality School/club team
1 Patricia Roberts   United States Tennessee
2 Sheila Sullivan   United States Mississippi University
3 Pam Cook   United States S.E. Louisiana State
4 Kathy DeBoer[17]   United States Michigan State
5 Cindy Henderson   United States S.W. Missouri State

Minnesota Fillies

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Round Player Pos. Nationality School/club team
1 Deborah Sherer   United States Urbana
2 Pam Prowning   United States Kentucky
3 Jane Westendorf   United States Millikin
4 Joan Slagel   United States Western Washington
5 Patti Decker   United States St. Cloud State

New Jersey Gems

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Round Player Pos. Nationality School/club team
1 Jean Giarussio   United States New Hampshire
2 Elizabeth Harty   United States C.W. Post
3 Tina Marie Krah   United States Immaculata
4 Suzanne Wera[18]   United States Olivet-Michigan
5 Donna Kirby   United States Drexel

New York Stars

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Round Player Pos. Nationality School/club team
1 Harriet Novarr[19] F   United States Queens College
2 Joanie Smith[20]   United States Arizona State (traded)
3 Pat Samuel   United States CCNY
4 Debbie Mason   United States Queens College
5 Phyllis George   United States Denton-Texas

Dayton Rockettes

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Round Player Pos. Nationality School/club team
1 Sheila Patterson   United States University of the District of Columbia
2 Denise Craig   United States Shaw
3 Linda Stoich   United States Michigan State
4 Angela Scott   United States Maryland
5 Sue Reyna   United States Virginia

References

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  1. ^ Kiri Oler (2 September 2023). "The story of the first Women's Professional Basketball League draft". The Next. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Women's loop will hold draft". Mansfield News Journal. Associated Press. 8 July 1978. p. 10. Retrieved 18 October 2023 – via Newspapers.com. 
  3. ^ "Women's basketball draft list released". Sun Herald. Associated Press. 19 July 1978. p. D2. Retrieved 18 October 2023 – via Newspapers.com. 
  4. ^ "UCLA woman first draft pick". Rapid City Journal. Associated Press. 21 July 1978. p. 7. Retrieved 18 October 2023 – via Newspapers.com. 
  5. ^ Phil Pepe (24 January 1980). "Carol, the Blaze, big loser in games boycott". New York Daily News. p. 23C. Retrieved 19 October 2023 – via Newspapers.com. 
  6. ^ "The Blaze signs with Gems". The Pantagraph. Associated Press. 29 October 1980. p. B1. Retrieved 19 October 2023 – via Newspapers.com. 
  7. ^ Greg Schmalz (19 July 1978). "Can WBL lure Blaze?". The Herald-News. p. D1. Retrieved 20 October 2023 – via Newspapers.com. 
  8. ^ Mark Neuzil (19 July 1979). "Will Phyllis have to go 1-on-1 against Ulina?". The Gazette. p. 4B. Retrieved 20 October 2023 – via Newspapers.com. 
  9. ^ "Women's pro league left her cold". Arizona Daily Star. Associated Press. 12 December 1978. p. C3. Retrieved 22 October 2023 – via Newspapers.com. 
  10. ^ "Draft surprises Charlotte Lewis". The Pantagraph. 22 July 1978. p. 13. Retrieved 19 October 2023 – via Newspapers.com. 
  11. ^ "Forrest, Williams are drafted by WBL". The Era-Leader. 26 July 1978. p. 17. Retrieved 19 October 2023 – via Newspapers.com. 
  12. ^ Stew Thornley; Marc Hugunin (2006). Minnesota Hoops. Minnesota Historical Society Press. ISBN 978-0873515740.
  13. ^ Richard Mudry (19 July 1978). "Spartans' Langley excited about pro pick". The Tampa Times. p. 3C. Retrieved 20 October 2023 – via Newspapers.com. 
  14. ^ "Szeremeta signs to play for Gems". The Herald-News. 14 November 1978. p. C3. Retrieved 2 November 2023 – via Newspapers.com. 
  15. ^ Tucker Mitchell (19 July 1978). "Pros draft Tina Price". The Macon Telegraph. p. 1C. Retrieved 2 November 2023 – via Newspapers.com. 
  16. ^ "Women's pro league drafts 2 local stars". The Tennessean. 19 July 1978. p. 28. Retrieved 2 November 2023 – via Newspaper.com. 
  17. ^ Mick McCabe (22 July 1978). "DeBoer can pick her court - law or basketball". Detroit Free Press. p. 2C. Retrieved 22 October 2023 – via Newspapers.com. 
  18. ^ Mark Katz (19 October 1978). "Rockettes make first player deal". Dayton Daily News. p. 31. Retrieved 22 October 2023 – via Newspapers.com. 
  19. ^ Terry Price (21 January 1979). "Harriet Novarr shoots for bit time basketball". Hartford Courant. p. 8C. Retrieved 2 November 2023 – via Newspapers.com. 
  20. ^ Warren Collier (28 August 1978). "Fifth quarter". Muncie Evening Press. p. 13. Retrieved 22 October 2023 – via Newspapers.com.