Robelyn Garcia

Last updated
Robelyn Garcia
Personal information
Born (1965-09-16) September 16, 1965 (age 59)
Phoenix, Arizona
NationalityAmerican
Listed height5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Career information
High school Wichita East High School
Enid High School
Elkhart, Kansas High School
College University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Dodge City Community College
Friends University
Playing career1990–1996
Position Shooting Guard
Career history
1990-91 LBA, Guadalupe, British Columbia
1992 WBA All-Star Exhibition Team
1993 Kansas Crusaders
1994-95Kansas City Mustangs
1996Tulsa Flames
Career highlights and awards
WNBA awards
  • 4X WBA All-Star (1992, 1993, 1994, 1995)
  • WBA Big Six Champion (1993)
  • WBA Championship Game MVP (1993)
Career awards
Medals

Senior Olympics Gold Medal (2015, 2017, 2018, 2019)
World Senior Games Gold Medal (2017)

Contents

Garcia with her WBA 2017 Gold-Star Vision Award Robelyn-garcia.wba-award.jpg
Garcia with her WBA 2017 Gold-Star Vision Award

Robelyn Annette Garcia (born September 16, 1965) is a former collegiate All-American and professional All-Star basketball player. [1] She was the Big Six Championship Game MVP on the Kansas Crusaders of the Women's Basketball Association (WBA). Garcia was inducted into the Black Archives of Mid-America WBA Hall of Fame on February 22, 2020. [2] [3] Robelyn, nicknamed "Robbie" by her junior college coach, also led the nation in scoring [4] while playing at Dodge City Community College where she was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame. [5] [6]

High school

Garcia played at five different high schools; she had a high scoring game of 56 points [7] while playing six-on-six basketball in Oklahoma. She also played two years for Wichita East High School and was an all-state player at Elkhart High School in Elkhart, Kansas, where she led her team in scoring. Garcia played on two All-Star teams her senior year including the Kansas vs Texas All-Star Challenge. In addition, she was the leading scorer in The Boot Hill High School All-State game in 1983. [8] Garcia also played softball, soccer, volleyball, ran cross country and track and field in high school. [9]

College career

Garcia's collegiate career began with high scoring games of 46 and 40 points in her first year as a college player. [7] [10] She was a Region NJCAA All-American and led the nation in scoring as a freshman, averaging 31.5 points per game before the implementation of the three-point line in the college game. Many of her points came from beyond what would have been the three-point arc. [11] She is the career all-time leading scorer at Dodge City College after scoring 1,298 points in just two years and has held this title for over 39 years. [12] [13] "At Dodge City, Garcia earned All-America honors and was ranked as one of the top junior college swing guards in the country when she averaged 28 points and five rebounds per game as a sophomore in 1984–85. She ranked as the nation's fourth-leading scorer as a sophomore." [14] Garcia played at the University of Nebraska her junior year [15] [16] and Friends University her senior year where she averaged 20 points per game and led her team and league in assists. She was a unanimous KCAC First-Team selection and NAIA Region All-Star her senior year. [17] Friends University Lady Falcons won the KCAC conference and made the NAIA National Tournament. Her Friends University Hall of Fame [18] Coach Jim Littell, former head coach at Oklahoma State University and current assistant at Wichita State University, [19] said "She's the greatest offensive talent I have ever coached. Passing, scoring, handling the ball". [7]

Garcia was a multi-sport athlete in college; she also played softball, soccer, ran cross country and track. [20] She was honored in May 2015 with her induction into the Dodge City College [21] Athletic Hall of Fame. [5] [22]

Professional career

Robelyn Garcia on Kansas WBA Championship Team Robelyn-garcia.wba.kansas.jpg
Robelyn Garcia on Kansas WBA Championship Team

Garcia played on several professional basketball teams and leagues, including the 1993 Champion Kansas Crusaders, Kansas City Mustangs and Tulsa Flames of the WBA. [23] She also played in The Pro-Am, AAU Women's League, Guadalupe, Mexico, British Columbia, [24] and was chosen to play in the Liberty Basketball Association (LBA) professional league. [25] Garcia's Kansas Crusaders team won the first WBA Championship in 1993. Her Kansas City Mustangs team won the regular WBA season going undefeated 15–0 in 1994. [26] Garcia was a 4-time WBA All-Star [27] and is featured on the collector WBA All-Star Card Set by Fair Play Sports. [28] [29] She is quoted several times and highlighted with five photos and a three-page spread in the 2017 best-selling book and documentary film The Vision: The Untold Story of the Women's Basketball Association by Lightning Ned Mitchell. [30] In addition, Garcia was awarded the oldest women's sports award of Women's Basketball AAU Athlete of the year in 1992 [31] while playing on her Championship Kansas City AAU Team. [32] [33]

Garcia also received the 2015 WBCBL Women's Professional Basketball "Trailblazer" Award on August 2, 2015. [34] The award recognizes some of the most influential people in professional women's basketball, specifically those who helped blaze the trail, shape the overall landscape and pave the way for women's professional basketball. [35]

Garcia, her Kansas City Mustangs undefeated team, Kansas Crusaders Championship team and the entire Women's Basketball Association have a permanent display at The Black Archives of Mid-America Women's Pro Basketball Hall of Fame. [36] [37]

Coaching career

Owner/Player/Coach for Christian Basketball Team Garcia Team garcia cb gspro.jpg
Owner/Player/Coach for Christian Basketball Team Garcia

Garcia coached two seasons at Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas, while she was working on her doctorate at the University of Kansas. She coached the Fighting Indians freshman team to an undefeated 20–0 season in 1992. Garcia also coached several semi-pro, exhibition and club teams including the touring team Christian Basketball. [38]

Higher education

Garcia, a lifelong scholar, has earned the following academic degrees and diplomas: [39]

Lastly, Garcia is currently working on the following degrees:

At Arizona State, she was inducted into the Arizona State Chapter of Phi Kappa Phi for her academic and scholarly achievement in May 2014. [46] She is also a post-doc in the Doctor of Behavioral Health program. [47]

In 2018 Garcia became an Arizona State University faculty affiliate in the Biomimicry department. [48] In addition to her post-secondary degrees, research and teaching, she has several publications, including her Guide to Coaching Youth Basketball. [49]

Other activities

Garcia began competition in 2014 for the Senior Olympics, 2015 regional Senior Games and the 2016 World Games. She won her first gold medal in the Senior Games in 2015 and won gold medals in the 2017, 2018 and 2019 Senior Olympics. [50] Robelyn also won a gold medal at the World Senior Games in October 2017. [51] Garcia is the president emeritus of the Jr. NBA-WNBA [52] and the Vice President of American Community Team Sports. She has been a professor in various academic fields for over twenty years. [53] Dr. Garcia began offering Jr. NBA - WNBA scholarships in 2011 in honor of her late Mother and launched her new Dr. Robelyn Garcia Scholarships in 2015. [54] She is the official team sponsor for the new Kansas City Pro WBCBL team and also provides scholarships for Seniors 50+, Jr. NBA-WNBA Players, WBCBL Teams and College Scholar Athletes. [55] [56] Her volunteer work includes work with Bicycle Charities, [57] The Arizona State University Doctor of Behavioral Health Student Forum, Special Olympics, Harvard University DCE Accessibility Services, Beatitudes Healthy Aging Adult Center and Senior University. [58] Garcia was also a radio announcer for the WBA, DCCC, University of Nebraska, Friends University and Kansas City Public radio. [59] Dr. Garcia was featured in and authored the afterword for the 2015 book "It's Your Go Season" by Kandi Conda. [60] [61] She released a Kindle book titled "Consumer Health Awareness: A Guide to Intelligent Decisions for Selecting Integrative Holistic Medicine" in 2018. [62]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lynette Woodard</span> American basketball player and coach (born 1959)

Lynette Woodard is an American basketball player and former head women's basketball coach at Winthrop University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Women's basketball</span> Basketball played by women

Women's basketball is the team sport of basketball played by women. It was first played in 1892, one year after men's basketball, at Smith College in Massachusetts. It spread across the United States, in large parts via women's college competitions, and has since spread globally. As of 2020, basketball is one of the most popular and fastest growing sports in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kayte Christensen</span> American basketball player and commentator (born 1980)

Kayte Lauren Christensen is an American color commentator for the Sacramento Kings and former professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seimone Augustus</span> American basketball coach and player (born 1984)

Seimone Delicia Augustus is an American basketball coach and former professional player. She is currently an assistant coach for the Louisiana State University women's basketball team. She was drafted first overall by the Minnesota Lynx in the 2006 WNBA draft and played for the Lynx for most of her Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) career except for her final season in with the Los Angeles Sparks. An eight-time All-Star and the 2011 finals MVP, Augustus led the Lynx to four WNBA championships. She also won three gold medals in the Olympics on the U.S. national team.

Shanele Marie Stires is an American retired professional women's basketball player and current college basketball coach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maya Moore</span> American basketball player (born 1989)

Maya April Moore is an American social justice advocate and former professional basketball player. Naming her their inaugural Performer of the Year in 2017, Sports Illustrated called Moore the "greatest winner in the history of women's basketball". Moore was selected for the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dodge City Community College</span> Community college in Dodge City, Kansas, U.S.

Dodge City Community College is a public community college in Dodge City, Kansas, United States.

A'Quonesia Krashun Franklin, also known as Aqua, is an American basketball coach and former player. She played two seasons in the WNBA. She was a three-year captain of the Texas A&M team from the 2005–06 to 2007–08 seasons. She received All-America honorable mention honors from the Associated Press two times, and has also received all-Big 12 honors. In May 2019, she was named the head coach of the Lamar University women's basketball team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephanie White</span> American basketball player and coach (born 1977)

Stephanie Joanne White is an American former professional basketball player and the head coach of the Indiana Fever of the WNBA. She was previously head coach of the WNBA Connecticut Sun in the 2023 and 2024 seasons and Vanderbilt Commodores women's basketball team from 2016 to 2021. Before Vanderbilt, she was the head coach of the WNBA Indiana Fever for the 2015 and 2016 seasons. As an intercollegiate athlete, she was named the winner of the Wade Trophy in 1999, which recognizes the top female basketball player in the nation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brittney Griner</span> American basketball player (born 1990)

Brittney Yvette Griner is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Mercury of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She is a three-time Olympic gold medalist with the U.S. women's national basketball team and a six-time WNBA All-Star. Griner was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kristi Toliver</span> American-Slovak basketball player (born 1987)

Kristi Renee Toliver is an American-Slovak professional basketball coach and former player who is the associate head coach for the Phoenix Mercury of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). During her rookie season in the WNBA, Toliver signed an endorsement deal with Nike.

Christina Wirth is an American basketball player who most recently played for the Indiana Fever of the WNBA. She is the daughter of Alan Wirth, a former major league baseball player with the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland Athletics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alysha Clark</span> American basketball player (born 1987)

Alysha Angelica Clark is an American-Israeli professional basketball player for the Las Vegas Aces of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). In college, she led the NCAA in scoring three years in a row. She was drafted in the second round of the 2010 WNBA draft by the San Antonio Silver Stars. In 2018, Clark won a championship with the Seattle Storm as they swept the Mystics in the 2018 WNBA Finals, and in 2020 won her second championship as the Storm swept the Las Vegas Aces. She won her third WNBA championship with the Las Vegas Aces in 2023. She was also the Most Valuable Player in the league in 2018 when her team CCC Polkowice of Poland in the Basket Liga Kobiet Basketball won that league's championship. In 2019, she won a Ligue Féminine de Basketball championship with her French team, Lyon Asvel. Clark is known for her swarming defense and clutch shooting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dodge City Conquistadors</span> Sports teams of Dodge City Community College

The Dodge City Conquistadors are the sports teams of Dodge City Community College located in Dodge City, Kansas, United States. They participate in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) and in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference.

Leticia Romero González is a Spanish basketball player from Agüimes who plays for Valencia Basket and the Spain women's national basketball team. She played three years in the Spain's top-tier league before spending her U.S. college career with Kansas State and Florida State. She played the 2018 WNBA season with the Dallas Wings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kelsey Plum</span> American basketball player (born 1994)

Kelsey Christine Plum is an American professional basketball player for the Las Vegas Aces of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She won back-to-back WNBA championships in 2022 and 2023. In 2022, she earned her first All-WNBA First Team selection and was named the WNBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player (MVP) in her first WNBA All-Star Game. She also won gold medals in 3x3 basketball at the 2020 Summer Olympics and in 5x5 basketball in the 2024 Summer Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reshanda Gray</span> American basketball player (born 1993)

Reshanda Gray is an American former professional basketball player who played in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She played college basketball for the California Golden Bears and was named the Pac-12 Conference Player of the Year as a senior in 2015. She was drafted by the Minnesota Lynx in the 2015 WNBA draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aari McDonald</span> American basketball player (born 1998)

Aarion Shawnae McDonald is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and for the Beijing Great Wall of the Women's Chinese Basketball Association (WCBA). She was drafted third overall by the Atlanta Dream in the 2021 WNBA draft after playing college basketball at the University of Washington and the University of Arizona.

The Women's Basketball Association was the first women's professional basketball summer league, operating from 1992 to 1995. The league was called the WWBA and WBA for the first All-Star tour in 1992, before settling on WBA. The pioneer league was formed in 1992 by Lightning N Mitchell and played three full seasons from 1993 to 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lexie Hull</span> American basketball player (born 1999)

Lexie Lauren Hull is an American professional basketball player for the Indiana Fever of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She played college basketball for the Stanford Cardinal, with whom she was a three-time All-Pac-12 selection, won the national championship as a junior and received the Senior CLASS Award and Elite 90 Award in her senior season. Hull attended Central Valley High School in Spokane Valley, Washington, where she helped her team win two state titles and was rated a five-star recruit by ESPN.

References

  1. ↑ "Robbie Garcia WBA All-Star Card". WNBA Cards - Fair Play Sports Cards. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  2. ↑ "WBA News Watch". The Vision WBA Official Web Site. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
  3. ↑ "Black Archives of Mid-America". Black Archives of Mid-America Web Site. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
  4. ↑ "Dodge City Lady Conq All-Time Records" (PDF). Dodge City Community College Athletics Official Web Site. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  5. 1 2 "Dodge City Athletics News Release". Dodge City Conqs Athletics. 27 February 2015. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Dodge City Athletics 2015 RECAP". Dodge City Conqs Official Athletics Web Site. 4 June 2015. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
  7. 1 2 3 Bill MacKay. "FU's Garcia Tough to Miss" (PDF). Wichita Eagle. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  8. ↑ "The Salina Journal". Newspapers.com Official Web Site. 16 April 1983. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  9. ↑ "Elkhart High School". Elkhart High School. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  10. ↑ "Woodard and Garcia Honored at 2015 WBCBL "Trailblazers"" . Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  11. ↑ "Dodge City Lady Conq Career All-time Records – Dodge City Community College Athletics Official Web" (PDF). Retrieved May 8, 2014.
  12. ↑ "Dodge City College Career Scoring Records – Dodge City Community College Athletics Official Web" . Retrieved January 24, 2024.
  13. ↑ "Dodge City Lady Conq All-Time Records – Dodge City Community College Athletics Official Web" . Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  14. ↑ "Robelyn Garcia Bio - Huskers.com – Nebraska Athletics Official Web Site" . Retrieved January 20, 2024. At Dodge City, Garcia earned All-America honors and was ranked as one of the top junior college swing guards in the country when she averaged 28 points and five rebounds per game as a sophomore in 1984-85. She ranked as the nation's fourth-leading scorer as a sophomore.
  15. ↑ "Husker Women Recruit Kansas Shooting Guard; Robelyn Garcia". University of Nebraska. March 26, 1985. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  16. ↑ "WOMEN'S BASKETBALL - Huskers.com – Nebraska Athletics Official Web Site" . Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  17. ↑ "The Salina Journal – Newspapers.com Official WebSite". 4 March 1988. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  18. ↑ Jim Littell Bio – OSU Athletics Official Web Site – OSU Athletics Official Web Site
  19. ↑ "Wichita State University Athletics – Women's Basketball". www.goshockers.com. Retrieved 2024-06-30.
  20. ↑ "SU HEALTH PROFESSOR ROBELYN GARCIA PHD: FASCINATING PEOPLE". 18 February 2015. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
  21. ↑ "Hall of Fame - Robelyn Garcia". Dodge City Community College Athletics. Retrieved 2023-10-29.
  22. ↑ "DC3-Conqs 2015 athletic hall of fame honoree Robelyn Garcia". DC3 Conqs Official Website. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
  23. ↑ "WBA All-Star Players". WNBA Cards Fair Play Sports. Retrieved December 9, 2013.
  24. ↑ "A League of Their Own". KC STAR Magazine. March 26, 1994. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
  25. ↑ "Garcia Serious About Education". KC Star. Retrieved December 9, 2013.
  26. ↑ "Women's Pro Basketball on Fox Sports". Fox 4 TV. 23 June 2012. Retrieved December 19, 2013.
  27. ↑ "WBA All-Star Set" (GIF). WNBA Cards - Fair Play Sports Cards. Retrieved December 9, 2013.
  28. ↑ Bonner, Mike (1999). Collecting Basketball Cards. United States: iUniverse. p. 117,119,120. ISBN   978-1583486153.
  29. ↑ Collecting Basketball Cards. iUniverse. 1999. ISBN   9781583486153 . Retrieved December 9, 2013.
  30. ↑ "The Vision: The Untold Story of the Women's Basketball Association". CreateSpace. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
  31. ↑ "Lawrence Journal World Archive". 21 November 1992. Retrieved May 19, 2014.
  32. ↑ "WBA Article Archive". Kansas City Star, WBA Media Guide, Star Magazine. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
  33. ↑ "Mustangs Running Strong out of the Gate - Undefeated Team". USA Today, WBA The Vision. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
  34. ↑ "WBCBL to Honor 10 trailblazers in Women's Professional Basketball". WBCBL News. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
  35. ↑ "Woodard and Garcia Honored as trailblazers in Women's Professional Basketball". WBCBL News. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
  36. ↑ "WBA Black Archive News and Photo". The WBA Official Facebook Page. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
  37. ↑ "Black Archives of Mid-America Official Facebook". Black Archives of Mid-America. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
  38. ↑ "FASCINATING PEOPLE: ROBELYN GARCIA,PHD". Salon Chair Therapist Official Website. 18 February 2015. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
  39. ↑ "Harvard Jobs Database". seo-harvard-csm.symplicity.com. Retrieved 2024-06-21.
  40. ↑ "Wichita State University Commencement". Facebook . Retrieved February 10, 2024.
  41. 1 2 "Rev. Robelyn Garcia". University of Metaphysics. Retrieved 2024-06-21.
  42. ↑ Anna M. Jones (September 22, 1994). "Garcia serious about education". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  43. ↑ "Harvard Scholar Official Website" . Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  44. ↑ "Harvard University Scholar Official Web Site" . Retrieved Oct 1, 2021.
  45. ↑ "University of Metatphysics Official Website" . Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  46. ↑ "ASU Phi Kappa Phi Merit Official Web Site" . Retrieved Jan 1, 2015.
  47. ↑ "Arizona State University Official Web Site Directory" . Retrieved Oct 1, 2014.
  48. ↑ "Arizona State University Faculty Affiliate: Biomimicry Center" . Retrieved June 30, 2024.
  49. ↑ Coaching Youth Basketball by Dr. Robelyn Garcia. Precision Printing. January 1994. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  50. ↑ "Arizona Senior Olympics" . Retrieved March 17, 2017.
  51. ↑ "World Senior Games" . Retrieved February 7, 2024.
  52. ↑ "Jr. NBA – Jr. WNBA" . Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  53. ↑ "Senior University Press" . Retrieved December 14, 2014.
  54. ↑ "Dr. Robelyn Garcia Scholarships". Facebook . Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  55. ↑ "Kansas City Majestics Official Sponsors" . Retrieved April 8, 2016.
  56. ↑ "Kansas City Majestics Uniform Sponsor". Facebook . Retrieved April 8, 2016.
  57. ↑ "Cancer Ride 2018". Facebook . Retrieved November 1, 2016.
  58. ↑ "Senior University Feed" . Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  59. ↑ "Dr. Robelyn Garcia Official Mixcloud" . Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  60. ↑ "WBCBL official Website News" . Retrieved March 1, 2015.
  61. ↑ "Amazon Books It's Your Go Season by Kandi Conda, Afterword by Robelyn Garcia". Amazon. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
  62. ↑ Kindle Books. Dr. Robelyn Garcia. 28 May 2018. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.