The WBL: How a Rough League Paved the Way for the WNBA's Rise
Explore the history of the Women's Professional Basketball League and how it laid the foundation for today's WNBA stars. From draft dilemmas to Billie Jean King's involvement, the WBL's legacy lives on.
It has been 45 years since the final game of the Women's Professional Basketball League (WBL), but the league's impact can still be felt today. The WBL, which ran from 1978 to 1981, set the stage for the rise of the WNBA and the stars who now dominate women's basketball.
On the eve of the 1980 WBL draft in New York City, the Dallas Diamonds were faced with a tough decision for the No. 1 pick. Coach Greg Williams wanted to take the 6ft 5in Danish star Inge Nissen, while the team's GM, Nancy Nichols, was leaning towards Nancy Lieberman, the American point guard nicknamed
Source: The Guardian
