Examine individual changes

'[[Image:WABAgirl.png|top|thumb|right]] The '''Women's American Basketball Association''' (WABA) is a name used by four professional [[women's basketball]] leagues in the United States. None as of yet have been able to maintain long-term success. == WABA (1984) == The first '''Women's American Basketball Association''' was founded by Bill Byrne, founder of the [[Women's Basketball League|WBL]], in hopes of cashing in on the USA Olympic team's success in Los Angeles in 1984. While some talented players played in the league (including Nancy Lieberman, Molly Bolin, [[Pamela McGee]] and Paula McGee) most of the league's teams folded before the league championship, which was won by Dallas over Chicago. == WABA/WBA (1992-95) == The '''Women's Basketball Association''' (WBA) was the first women's professional basketball summer league. The league was called the '''WABA''' and WWBA for the first All-Star tour in 1992, before settling on WBA. The pioneer league was formed in 1992 by Lightning Mitchell and played three full seasons from 1993-95.<ref name="archive1">{{cite web|url=http://web.archive.org/web/20060616173846/http://hometown.aol.com/bradleyrd/women.html |title=The History of Women's Professional Basketball |author=Robert Bradley |coauthors=Jack Black, F. Travis Boley, Robert Bradley, Tom Goddard, John Guy, Steve Mau, Shawn Oliver, Mark Pollak, Pat Premo and Dennis Slusher |work=Web.archive.org |date=16 June 2006 |accessdate=}}</ref> The WBA played a 15-game schedule and games were broadcast on Liberty Sports of Dallas. The All-Star games<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.angelfire.com/az/hangar018/wba95.html|title=Women's Basketball Association Set|accessdate=29 December 2013}}</ref> were also televised on [[FOX Sports|Fox Sports]]. [[Kansas Jayhawks women's basketball|Kansas Jayhawks]] All-American Geri "Kay-Kay" Hart and [[Robelyn Garcia|Robelyn "Robbie" Garcia]] announced the game on Fox Radio and [[Nancy Lieberman]] was the TV announcer for the 1995 All-Star game. The WBA played three full seasons with plans to play as a 12-team league in 1997, but disbanded before the season began. When [[FOX Sports|Fox Sports]] purchased Liberty Sports and the WBA, they dissolved the league shortly after and sold off the franchising rights. The league is considered to be the first American professional women's basketball league to be successful as a summer league, similar to the present [[Women's National Basketball Association|WNBA]]. Guard [[Laurie Byrd]] played for the WABA, WBA, [[American Basketball League (1996–1998)|American Basketball League]] and the [[Women's National Basketball Association|WNBA]]. === WBA Champions === * 1993 - [[Sports in Kansas City|Kansas Crusaders]] - MVP: ([[Robelyn Garcia]]) * 1994 - [[Nebraska Express]] - MVP: Maurtice Ivy (Tice) * 1995 - [[Sports in Chicago|Chicago Twisters]] - MVP: Diana Vines ([[WNBA]], LBA) === WBA results === 1993 Regular Season AMERICAN CONFERENCE Nebraska Express 13 2 .867 Missouri Mustangs 10 5 .667 Oklahoma Cougars 3 12 .200 WORLD CONFERENCE Kansas Crusaders 10 5 .667 Iowa Unicorns 5 10 .333 5 Illinois Knights 4 11 .267 6 MVP: Sarah Campbell <u>WBA 1st Round Playoffs</u> Iowa 119, Missouri 103 Missouri 98, Iowa 93 Missouri 117, Iowa 112 (OT) Kansas 92, Oklahoma 77 Kansas 114, Oklahoma 64 Nebraska 166, Illinois 129 Nebraska 127, Illinois 115 <u>WBA 2nd Round Playoffs</u> Kansas 121, Missouri 97 Kansas 109, Missouri 99 <u>WBA Championship</u> (best-of five) Kansas 125, Nebraska 119 Nebraska 118, Kansas 100 Kansas 111, Nebraska 96 Kansas 100, Nebraska 98 MVP: Robelyn (Robbie) Garcia 1994 WBA Regular Season AMERICAN CONFERENCE Nebraska Express 10 5 .667 5 Indiana Stars 8 7 .533 7 Oklahoma Flames 3 12 .200 12 Iowa Twisters 1 14 .067 14 NATIONAL CONFERENCE [[Sports in Kansas City|Kansas City Mustangs]] 15 0 Memphis Blues 10 5 .667 5 St. Louis River Queens 9 6 .600 6 Kansas Marauders 4 11 .267 11 MVP: Evette Ott, Sarah Campbell <u>WBA 1st Round Playoffs</u> [[Memphis blues (disambiguation)|Memphis]] 126, St. Louis 111 Memphis 122, St. Louis 110 Indiana 107, Oklahoma 91 Indiana 103, Oklahoma 91 <u>WBA 2nd Round Playoffs</u> Kansas City 98, Memphis 94 Memphis 101, Kansas City 87 (winner determined by total points: Memphis 195, [[Sports in Kansas City|Kansas City Mustangs]] 185) Nebraska 99, Indiana 89 Nebraska 91, Indiana 87 <u>WBA Championship</u> (best-of five) Memphis 102, Nebraska 101 Nebraska 123, Memphis 108 Memphis 138, Nebraska 128 Nebraska 111, Memphis 101 Nebraska 103, Memphis 101 MVP: Maurtice (Tice) Ivy 1995 WBA Regular Season AMERICAN CONFERENCE Chicago Twisters 15 1 .938 .. Nebraska Express 6 9 .400 8.5 Minnesota Stars 5 10 .333 9.5 Oklahoma Flames 5 10 .333 9.5 NATIONAL CONFERENCE St. Louis River Queens 9 7 .562 .. Kansas City Mustangs 7 8 .467 1.5 Kentucky Marauders 7 8 .467 1.5 Memphis Blues 7 8 .467 1.5 <u>1995 WBA Championship Game</u> Chicago 107, St. Louis 96 Co-MVP: Diana Vines & Petra Jackson == WABA (2001-02) == The '''Women's American Basketball Association''' (WABA) formed in 2001 and played one season in 2002. Six teams played in the league: [[Allentown Crunch]], [[Reading Rage]], [[Schuylkill Syrens]], [[Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Scream]], [[Wilmington Jaguars]] and [[York City Noise]]. The 2002 championship game was played June 2, 2002 and won by the York City Noise. Meggan Yedsena (who went on to play for the [[Colorado Chill]]) led the Schuylkill Syrens in the league's inaugural season. Some of the teams made the transition to the [[WEBA]] and continue to play semi-professional Basketball. Yedsena was the only player to play in both the 1990s WABA (for [[Nebraska Cornhuskers women's basketball|Nebraska]]) and the 2002 WABA.<ref name="archive1" /> == WABA (2013-present) == Management of the modern-day [[American Basketball Association (2000–present)|American Basketball Association]] (ABA) are attempting to create a "new" [http://www.wababb.com WABA]. Several teams have been announced, but the league has yet to play report any game results. ==Notable Players== * [[Nancy Lieberman]], [[Janice Lawrence Braxton]], Molly Bolin, [[Pamela McGee]] and Paula McGee * [[List of College Football on NBC commentators|Krista Blunk]], Lisa Braddy, [[Laurie Byrd]], Sarah Campbell, Lisa Carlsen, Joy Champ, [[List of current NCAA Division I women's basketball coaches|Surina Dixon]], Cledella Evans, Crystal Flint, [[Robelyn Garcia|Robbie Garcia]], Kay Kay Hart, [[2009–10 Louisville Cardinals women's basketball team|Michelle Clark-Heard]], [[Kentucky Wildcats women's basketball|Patty Jo Hedges]], Petra Jackson, Patrice Marshall, Evette Ott, Lynn Page, Lisa Sandbothe, Danielle Shareef, Melissa Stanford, Lisa Tate, Diana Vines, Tammy Williams, Cynthia Wilson, and Meggan Yedsena ==References== {{Reflist|30em}} ==External links== * [http://www.angelfire.com/az/hangar018/wba95.html 1995 All-Star Photos] * [http://www.beckett.com/basketball/1995/womens-basketball-association/ Beckett Cards] * [http://www.basketballresearch.us/ Professional basketball research] * [http://photobucket.com/WomensBasketballWBA/ WBA Photo archive] * [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOvpe8ZMoe8 Women's Pro Basketball ]video * [http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/schedule/?l_id=94 WABA 2002 news by OurSportsCentral] * [http://www.wnbacards.com/WBL/WBL.htm WNBA CARDS] {{Major women's sport leagues in North America}} [[Category:2002 establishments in the United States]] [[Category:Women's basketball leagues in the United States]] [[Category:Women's professional basketball leagues]] [[Category:Professional sports leagues in the United States]]'