Debbie Mason

Last updated

Debbie "The Pearl" Mason is an American former professional basketball player who played in the Women's Professional Basketball League (WBL). [1]

Mason played for the Queens College women's basketball team from 1971 to 1975. [2] She went on to play professional basketball in Sweden for a single season before returning to the United States to play for the New York Stars. [1] She was cut from the Stars due to her small stature (5 ft 5 in), and then signed to the New Jersey Gems, who felt her skills could make up for size. [3]  

Mason was inducted into the NYC Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011 in recognition of her contributions to basketball history, the third woman to ever receive this honor. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Etta Jones</span> American jazz singer (1928–2001)

Etta Jones was an American jazz singer. Her best-known recordings are "Don't Go to Strangers" and "Save Your Love for Me". She worked with Buddy Johnson, Oliver Nelson, Earl Hines, Barney Bigard, Gene Ammons, Kenny Burrell, Milt Jackson, Cedar Walton, and Houston Person.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queens College, City University of New York</span> College in New York City

Queens College (QC) is a public college in the Queens borough of New York City. It is part of the City University of New York system. Its 80-acre campus is primarily located in Kew Gardens Hills, Queens. It has a student body representing more than 170 countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nancy Lieberman</span> American former basketball player

Nancy Elizabeth Lieberman, nicknamed "Lady Magic", is an American former professional basketball player and coach in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) who is currently a broadcaster for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association (NBA) as well as the head coach of Power, a team in the BIG3 which she led to its 2018 Championship. Lieberman is regarded as one of the greatest figures in American women's basketball.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donna Orender</span>

Donna Geils Orender is a sports executive and a former collegiate and professional basketball player. She was formerly president of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), and senior vice president of the PGA. Currently, Orender is the founder and CEO of Orender Unlimited, a Jacksonville, FL based advisory and consultancy firm. She travels the world as a motivational speaker and advocating for the empowerment of women and young girls through her non-profit organization Generation W.

The Wade Trophy is an award presented annually to the best upperclass women's basketball player in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I competition. It is named after three–time national champion Delta State University coach Lily Margaret Wade. The award debuted in 1978 as the first–ever women's national player of the year award in college basketball. State Farm Insurance sponsors the award, and the trophy is presented at the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) National Convention.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doris Burke</span> American sports commentator (born 1965)

Doris Burke is an American sports announcer and analyst for NBA on ESPN, NBA on ABC, College Basketball on ESPN, and College Basketball on ABC games. She formerly worked as an analyst for WNBA games on MSG, and has worked on New York Knicks games. Burke was the first female commentator to call a New York Knicks game on radio and television.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lusia Harris</span> American basketball player (1955–2022)

Lusia Mae Harris was an American professional basketball player. Harris is considered to be one of the pioneers of women's basketball. She played for Delta State University and won three consecutive Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) National Championships, the predecessors to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championships, from 1975 to 1977. In international level, she represented the United States' national team and won the silver medal in the 1976 Olympic Games, the first women's basketball tournament in the Olympic Games. She played professional basketball with the Houston Angels of the Women's Professional Basketball League (WBL) and was the first and only woman ever officially drafted by the National Basketball Association (NBA), a men's professional basketball league. For her achievements, Harris was inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.

Cathy Rush was the head women's basketball coach at Immaculata from 1972 to 1977. She led Immaculata to three consecutive AIAW national titles from 1972–1974. She led the Mighty Macs to six consecutive final four appearances in her six seasons with the school, attaining a 149–15 record. Rush was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame on April 7, 2008. She had also been inducted to the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000 and the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame in 2005.

Gail Annette Marquis is an American former basketball player who competed in the 1976 Summer Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marianne Stanley</span> American basketball coach

Marianne Crawford Stanley is an American basketball coach. She previously served as the head coach of the Washington Mystics and Indiana Fever of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).

Pearl Moore is a retired American professional basketball player who played for the Women's Professional Basketball League. During her collegiate career at Francis Marion University, Moore established herself as one of the most prolific scorers in college history, male or female, and is the all-time career-scoring leader in women's college basketball. In 1979, she began her WBL career, playing with the New York Stars, then, the following season, Moore joined the St. Louis Streak. Moore was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kathy Delaney-Smith</span>

Kathy Delaney-Smith is a retired American college basketball coach. She retired at the end of the 2021–22 season after 40 seasons as head coach of the women's basketball team at Harvard University. At the time of her retirement, she was the longest-tenured women's head coach at a single school in NCAA Division I. With Harvard, Delaney-Smith had her 600th win as an NCAA Division I coach in March 2019.

Matilda Cuomo is an American advocate for women and children, former First Lady of New York from 1983 to 1994, and matriarch of the Cuomo family. She is the widow of Governor of New York Mario Cuomo and mother of Andrew Cuomo who also served as Governor of New York before resigning in August 2021 and former CNN presenter Chris Cuomo. The founder of the child advocacy group Mentoring USA, Cuomo was inducted to the National Women's Hall of Fame in 2017.

Christine A. Dailey is an American women's basketball coach, who has been the associate head coach for the Connecticut Huskies women's basketball team since 1988. Dailey was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roy Wilkins Park</span> Public park in Queens, New York

Roy Wilkins Park, originally known as Southern Queens Park, is a 54-acre (22 ha) park in the St. Albans neighborhood of southeastern Queens in New York City. It is located on an irregular plot of land bounded by 115th and 116th Avenues to the north, 175th Street to the west, Merrick Boulevard to the southwest, Baisley Boulevard to the southeast, and the St. Albans Community Living Center to the east. Roy Wilkins Park contains the Roy Wilkins Recreation Center, a community center with an indoor swimming pool. It also includes various outdoor sporting facilities, a playground, and an artificial pond.

Timothea "Timmy" Larr is a naval architect and three-time winner of United States Women's Sailing Championship. She was inducted into the National Sailing Hall of Fame in 2013. She is also known for her work in developing training programs for sailors in the United States.

Tara Heiss is an American women's basketball player. A 5'6" point guard who played for the University of Maryland Terrapins from 1975 to 1978, she also was a member of the 1980 US Olympic team and played in the Women's Professional Basketball League. She was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, the University of Maryland Athletics Hall of Fame, and the Maryland State Athletic Hall of Fame. Many consider her the best point guard in the history of US women's basketball.

Althea R. Gwyn was an American professional basketball player who was one of the first players in the Women's Professional Basketball League (WBL).

Lucille Kyvallos is a former women's collegiate basketball coach. Kyvallos coached the Queens College women's basketball team from 1968 through 1981. She is a member of the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame. She served as chair for the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW)'s basketball committee and tournament director for the AIAW national championship in 1973. She coached the first women's college basketball game to be played at Madison Square Garden on February 22, 1975. Kyvallos, an advocate for women's sports, wrote: "Women who achieve in sport add a new dimension to the role of women in American society."

References

  1. 1 2 3 "'Little Pearl' inducted into NYC Basketball Hall of Fame". New York Amsterdam News. 2011-09-30. Retrieved 2023-04-17.
  2. Williams, Lena (1975-03-02). "At Queens College, a New Ball Game". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2023-04-17.
  3. Herman, Robin (1978-12-16). "Another 'Pearl' in The Pros". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2023-04-17.