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ChasingRatDogmaSalade
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Bob Lamm
Joined: 11 Apr 2010
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 Posted: 01/10/22 1:32 pm ::: |
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Thanks for posting this. I posted about Althea Gwyn on the New York Liberty page.
I taught at Queens College in the mid 1970s. That's where I first saw and fell in love with women's basketball, which was virtually never in the newspapers and absolutely never on television. At that time, Queens had one of the best programs in the U.S., thanks to their pioneering coach Lucille Kyvallos.
In 1975, I was one of 12,000 fans at Madison Square Garden as Queens hosted national champion Immaculata in the first-ever women's basketball game at "the world's most famous arena." Althea Gwyn was the center for that great team, which included Gail Marquis (soon thereafter on the first-ever U.S. Olympic women's basketball team in 1976), Donna Chait (now known as Donna Orender, the former commissioner of the WNBA), and Debbie Mason (known as "The Pearl" because like the great Earl Monroe she was a wizard at dribbling around and through defenders).
Althea Gwyn was named an All-American for the 1977-1978 season. Gwyn, Donna Orender, and Debbie Mason all played for the New York Stars in the short-lived Women's Basketball League (WBL). After her basketball career ended, Gwyn became a firefighter in North Carolina, eventually rising to the rank of Lieutenant. She is survived by her wife Yolanda.
On the Liberty page, I've linked a 1979 New York Times piece about Althea Gwyn.
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IM in OC
Joined: 25 Mar 2009
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Location: Orange County, CA
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| Posted: 01/10/22 2:03 pm ::: |
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| Bob Lamm wrote: |
Thanks for posting this. I posted about Althea Gwyn on the New York Liberty page.
I taught at Queens College in the mid 1970s. That's where I first saw and fell in love with women's basketball, which was virtually never in the newspapers and absolutely never on television. At that time, Queens had one of the best programs in the U.S., thanks to their pioneering coach Lucille Kyvallos.
In 1975, I was one of 12,000 fans at Madison Square Garden as Queens hosted national champion Immaculata in the first-ever women's basketball game at "the world's most famous arena." Althea Gwyn was the center for that great team, which included Gail Marquis (soon thereafter on the first-ever U.S. Olympic women's basketball team in 1976), Donna Chait (now known as Donna Orender, the former commissioner of the WNBA), and Debbie Mason (known as "The Pearl" because like the great Earl Monroe she was a wizard at dribbling around and through defenders).
Althea Gwyn was named an All-American for the 1977-1978 season. Gwyn, Donna Orender, and Debbie Mason all played for the New York Stars in the short-lived Women's Basketball League (WBL). After her basketball career ended, Gwyn became a firefighter in North Carolina, eventually rising to the rank of Lieutenant. She is survived by her wife Yolanda.
On the Liberty page, I've linked a 1979 New York Times piece about Althea Gwyn. |
I was a student at Queens College back in the 70's and went to one of the games at Fitzgerald Gym. Hard to believe it is almost 50 years since those games. I believe Immaculata won it all that year.
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Bob Lamm
Joined: 11 Apr 2010
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| Posted: 01/10/22 3:49 pm ::: |
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| IM in OC wrote: |
| I was a student at Queens College back in the 70's and went to one of the games at Fitzgerald Gym. Hard to believe it is almost 50 years since those games. I believe Immaculata won it all that year. |
The NCAA wasn't running women's basketball championships in the 1970s. Immaculata won the AIAW's Division I title in 1972, 1973 (beating Queens College), and 1974. When Queens played Immaculata in the historic February 1975 game at Madison Square Garden, Immaculata was the reigning national champion.
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Lib Fan
Joined: 10 May 2005
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| Posted: 01/11/22 1:59 pm ::: |
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| Bob Lamm wrote: |
| IM in OC wrote: |
| I was a student at Queens College back in the 70's and went to one of the games at Fitzgerald Gym. Hard to believe it is almost 50 years since those games. I believe Immaculata won it all that year. |
The NCAA wasn't running women's basketball championships in the 1970s. Immaculata won the AIAW's Division I title in 1972, 1973 (beating Queens College), and 1974. When Queens played Immaculata in the historic February 1975 game at Madison Square Garden, Immaculata was the reigning national champion. |
A few years ago there was a reunion and reception for the Queens College-
Immaculata game at MSG at the Maggie Dixon game. I was invited as a Liberty STH and had a very good time meeting the players and hearing to their stories
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scullyfu
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Bob Lamm
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ChasingRatDogmaSalade
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Bob Lamm
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| Posted: 01/19/22 12:52 pm ::: |
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Thanks so much for posting this!
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