| Sport | Basketball |
|---|---|
| Founded | April 8, 2016 |
| Inaugural season | 2017 |
| President | Kre’Tonia Morgan |
| Commissioner | Janell Burse |
| Motto | It’s Our Time |
| No. of teams | 8 |
| Country | United States |
| Continent | Americas |
| Most recent champion(s) | Dallas Lightning |
| Most titles | Dallas Lightning (3) |
The Women's Minor League Basketball Association (WMLBA) was a women's professional basketball league in North America. It was initially founded in 2016, although the initial playing season began in 2017. The season ran from June through August.[1]
History
In 2015, Janell Burse and Kre’Tonia Morgan formed the Women's Minor League Basketball Association.[2] Burse acted as the WMLBA Commissioner. The Louisiana native played four years for Tulane University before her pro career with the Minnesota Lynx and Seattle Storm of the WNBA, and Wisla Can-Pack Kraków in Poland. A native of Mississippi, Morgan was the President of Business Operations.
The league initially planned to begin play in 2016,[3] but the first season of competition was in 2017. The regular season began in June culminating in a championship game in August between the Tennessee Storm and the Dallas Lightning, won by Dallas 76–71.[4]
The league announced on January 3, 2020, that it was ceasing operations.[5]
Teams
| Team | City | Joined WMLBA |
|---|---|---|
| Carolina Stars | Columbia, SC | 2017[6] |
| Dallas Lightning | Dallas, TX | 2017 |
| Georgia Classic | Evans, GA | 2017 |
| Houston Galaxy | Houston, TX | 2017[7][8] |
| Nashville Charge | Nashville, TN | 2017[9] |
| Oklahoma Warriors | Muskogee, OK | 2019[10] |
| San Antonio Troopers | San Antonio, TX | 2017 |
| Tennessee Storm | Jackson, TN | 2017 |
Former member teams
- Fort Worth Elite (2018)
- Midwest Reign (2017)[11]
Champions
| Season | Champion | Runner-up | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Dallas Lightning | Tennessee Storm | 355-2 |
| 2018 | Dallas Lightning | San Antonio Troopers | 1000-7 |
| 2019 | Dallas Lightning | Oklahoma Warriors | 364-5 |
References
- ↑ "Carolina Stars To Fill Pro Women's Basketball Void". WLTX. October 15, 2017.
- ↑ "WMLBA: A New Opportunity Arises for Potential Professional Women's Basketball Player". HERO Sports. March 30, 2017.
- ↑ "#ThePostUp Podcast 7/18/16: Janell Burse, now a successful businesswoman, helps chart course for new pro league". Hoopfeed.com. July 18, 2016.
- ↑ "Dallas Lighting Win Inaugural WMLBA Championship – The Women's Sports Network". The Women's Sports Network. August 7, 2017.
- ↑ "WMLBA on Twitter". Twitter. January 3, 2020.
- ↑ "Carolina Stars Hold Tryouts For New WMLBA Team". WLTX. April 30, 2017.
- ↑ "Pearland women's basketball team, Houston Galaxy, makes debut in homecourt game". Community Impact Newspaper. July 12, 2017.
- ↑ "Sisters excited to lead women's basketball team". Houston Chronicle. June 15, 2018.
- ↑ "Nashville gets women's minor league basketball team". Tennessean. May 28, 2016.
- ↑ "Coming attraction: Minor league women's basketball planned for Civic Center run". Muskogee Daily Phoenix. April 17, 2019.
- ↑ "Ex-KU forward Jeff Graves embarks on adventure with Midwest Reign women's hoops team". Kansas City Star. June 25, 2017.