USA BASKETBALL HISTORY
USA WOMEN’S OLYMPIC AND PRE-OLYMPIC QUALIFYING TEAM 1980 RESULTS
VARNA, BULGARIA • MAY 5-12, 1980
Twenty-two countries participated in the event that would determine the five countries to qualify for the 1980 Olympics. The Soviet Union did not compete in the Olympic Qualification Tournament, having qualified for the Games as the host country and as defending Olympic champions. The American women posted an impressive 6-1 record to finish the tournament as co-champions with Bulgaria and establish themselves as an Olympic favorite along with the Soviets. Bettering their opponents by an average victory margin of 17.7 points, the USA’s lone setback was to South Korea in semifinal group play, 89- 88. The USA’s list of wins included over 1980 Olympic silver medalist Bulgaria, 76-75, and bronze medalist Yugoslavia, 85-84. The USA opened play by dispatching its preliminary pool opponents Australia, 68-57, and Hungary, 109-79. In the second round, which saw the top finishing squads from each of the two six-team pools earn the title of co-champion, the U.S. tossed France aside 104-58. The American women then suffered the single-digit loss to South Korea and edged Yugoslavia by a point before closing the round and competition with a 102-66 trouncing of Czechoslovakia. The second through sixth placed teams in each of the second round groups competed in the final classification round to determine the final three nations that would compete at the Moscow Olympics. In addition to co-champions Bulgaria, advancing to the 1980 Olympics were (in order of finish) Cuba, Yugoslavia and Italy. With the USA not taking part in the 1980 Games, sixth place finisher Hungary was selected to replace the U.S. Denise Curry emerged as the team’s main offensive threat, averaging 17.8 points and 5.7 rebounds. The USA also received strong offensive efforts from Cindy Noble, 13.8 points and 6.7 rebounds, Rosie Walker, 12.7 points and 5.7 rebounds, as well as LaTaunya Pollard and Carol Blazejowski, 12.0 points and 10.7 points, respectively.
1980 USA WOMEN’S PRE-OLYMPIC QUALIFYING TEAM ROSTER
1980 USA RESULTS (5-1)
NAME
POS HGT WGT AGE AFFILIATION (SCHOOL)
HOMETOWN
Australia Hungary
W, 68-57 W, 109-79 W, 104-58 W, 85-84
Carol Blazejowski Denise Curry Anne Donovan
G F C G C F C F C F G G
5-10
150 167 168 132 174 155 165 135 166 189 130 156
23 20 18 23 20 19 21 19 21 22 21 20
Montclair State Coll.
Cranford, NJ
6-1 6-8 5-6 6-2
UCLA
Davis, CA
France
Old Dominion
Ridgewood, NJ Bethesda, MD
Yugoslavia South Korea
Tara Heiss Kris Kirchner Debra Miller Cindy Noble
Maryland Maryland
L, 88-89
New Providence, NJ
Czechoslovakia
W, 102-66
5-11 6-5 5-10 6-3 6-1 5-7 5-11
Boston University
Bronx, NY
Tennessee
Clarksburg, OH East Chicago, IN
LaTaunya Pollard
Long Beach State
Jill Rankin
Tennessee
Phillips, TX Emerson, AR Knoxville, TN Wichita, KS
FINAL STANDINGS
Rosie Walker Holly Warlick
Stephen F. Austin State
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
*United States (3-0)
Tennessee
Lynette Woodard
Kansas
*Bulgaria (6-1)
HEAD COACH: Sue Gunter, Stephen F. Austin State University (TX) ASSISTANT COACH: Pat Head, University of Tennessee MANAGER: Bety Jo Graber, Weathersford College (TX)
*Cuba (6-2)
*Yugoslavia (6-3)
*Italy (6-3)
$Hungary (4-4)
Canada (6-3)
Czechoslovakia (6-3) South Korea (5-4)
9.
1980 USA WOMEN’S PRE-OLYMPIC QUALIFYING TEAM CUMULATIVE STATISTICS
10. China (4-5) 10. Canada (2-4) 11. France (3-5)-5) 12. Poland (2-5) 13. Australia Brazil
NAME
G/S
FGM-A
PCT
FTM-A
PCT
REB
PTS
A
STL
Curry Noble Walker Pollard
6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 3 5 6
45- 74 31- 53 27- 41 31- 61 25- 54 13- 18 12- 21 11- 19 13- 19 5- 10 7- 10
0.608 17- 19
0.895 34/ 5.7 0.778 37/ 6.7 0.769 15/ 2.5 0.778 21/ 3.5 0.71 34/ 5.7
107/ 17.8 83/ 13.8 76/ 12.7 72/ 12.0 64/ 10.7 34/ 5.7 31/ 5.2 28/ 4.7
7 3 5 3 7 1 0 3 1 0
4 4 4 5 3 5 4 2 5 2 2 7
0.585 0.659 0.508 0.463 0.722 0.571 0.579
21- 27 22- 31 10- 13 14- 18
Fed. Rep. of Germany Great Britain Ireland Japan Mexico Netherlands Nigeria Romania
Blazejowski
Heiss
8- 8 5- 7 6- 6 3- 7 1- 1 2- 2
1
12/ 2.0
20
Donovan
0.714 12/ 2.0
Rankin
1
13/ 1.7 9/ 1.5
Woodard
0.684 1- 2
0.5
27/ 4.5 13/ 4.3 8/ 1.3 8/ 1.3
Miller
0.5 0.7
0.429 7/ 2.3
Kirchner Warlick
1 1
9/ 1.5 9/ 1.5
3- 8
0.375
11
USA TOTALS 6 OPP. TOTALS 6
223-388 .575 185-398 .465
110-141 63- 99
.780 .636
210/ 35.0 159/ 26.5
556/ 92.7 61 433/ 72.2 29
47 46
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