Minnesota Fillies
The Minnesota Fillies were an American women's professional basketball team based in Minnesota that competed in the Women's Professional Basketball League from 1978 to 1981. The Fillies were one of three teams to play in all three of the league's seasons.[1] The Met Center served as the team's home court during their first two seasons. In the team's last season, they played home games at the Minneapolis Auditorium.[2]
| Minnesota Fillies | |
|---|---|
| Division | Eastern (1978–1979) Midwest (1979–1980) Central (1980–1981) |
| League | Women's Professional Basketball League |
| Founded | 1978 |
| Folded | 1981 |
| History | Minnesota Fillies 1978–1981 |
| Arena | Met Center (1978–1980) Williams Arena (1980) Minneapolis Auditorium (1980-1981) |
| Location | Minneapolis, MN |
| Team colors | Royal blue, golden yellow, white |
| Team manager | J. Gordon Nevers |
| Head coach | Julia Yeater (1978–1979) Terry Kunze (1979–1981) Lynnette Sjoquist (1981) |
| Ownership | J. Gordon Nevers |
| Championships | 0 |
| Conference titles | 0 |
| Division titles | 0 |
The Women's Professional Basketball League disbanded in 1981 due to financial problems. Most of these problems were attributed to owners defaulting on creditors and outstanding payroll entitlements to players and other employees.[3] In 1981, Commissioner Sherwin Fischer promised that the Minnesota Fillies players would receive their entitlements. When the Commissioner failed to deliver on this promise, the Fillies walked off the court in Chicago ten minutes before a scheduled game against the Chicago Hustle.[4] Despite a full house at De Paul Alumni Hall, the game was forfeited. The Fillies finished out the final games of the 1980–1981 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 quarterfinals Lost semi-finals | 2–1 New Orleans 1–2 Iowa |
| 1980-81 | 7 | 28 | .200 | ||
| Totals | 46 | 57 | .447 | ||
| Playoffs | 3 | 3 | .500 | ||
Personnel
Julia Yeater was hired to coach the Fillies in 1978. She had been the head coach of the women's basketball team at Western Kentucky University for two seasons, with a record of 45 wins and 17 losses. Yeater reflected that she joined the team because she wanted to see more female head coaches in the newly established WBL.[5] Yeater received her master's degree from University of Kansas.[6]
Women also played in the Semi Pro League sponsored by Steve and Dave Winfield, professional baseball players. These women included Janelle D. Gibson, who was studying at Minneapolis Community College at the time, and Kathy Burks, a 19-year-old attending the University of Minnesota.
The president and general manager of the team was J. Gordon Nevers.[6]
References
- ^ a b 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. pp. 384. ISBN 9780873515580.
- ^ "Women's Professional Basketball League (1978-1981) • Fun While It Lasted".
- ^ Porter, Karra (2006). Mad Seasons: The Story of the First Women's Professional Basketball League, 1978-1981. United States: University of Nebraska Press. pp. 352. ISBN 9780803287891.
- ^ "Minnesota Fillies". milkeespress.com. Retrieved 2016-01-21.
- ^ a b Minnesota Fillies 1978-1979 Season Yearbook