USA BASKETBALL HISTORY
USA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP TEAM 1979 RESULTS
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA • APRIL 29-MAY 13, 1979
1979 marked the first time since 1957 that the United States claimed a World title. The 22-year drought ended with a 77-61 win over Canada in the finals. The USA’s play was impressive, however, a factor in the campaign was a boycott by defending champion, the Soviet Union, and five other communist nations due to a lack of diplomatic relations with host country South Korea. Things did not start well for the favored Americans, the only team that didn’t compete in preliminary play, but advanced directly to the final round in a seven-team round-robin format. Opening against host South Korea in front of 20,000 fans, the U.S. squad was shocked, 94-82, despite 23 points from Carol Blazejowski. The United States barely avoided disaster when it slipped past Italy 66-64 and Denise Curry led the USA attack with 12 points. On the win- ning track, Japan fell to the Americans 84-65 as Blazejowski and Rosie Walker each tallied 16 points. Disposing of Australia 74-59, the U.S., in need of a win to keep its gold medal chances alive, whipped France 80-59 setting the stage for the game against Canada. The United States entered the final day with a 4-1 record, while the Canadians, who had won all five of their games, did not even need to win against the U.S. to clinch the championship. What the Canadians did need was to not lose to the U.S. by more than 13 points. The USA opened an early 13-6 lead and at halftime only led 35-29. The U.S. slowly built a lead that reached double figures. Holding a 75-61 lead with 20 seconds remaining, Canada missed a field goal and the U.S. sealed its gold medal finish when Tara Heiss and Blazejowski each made one of two free throws in the final nine seconds. Blazejowski again led the USA offense scoring 25 points. With its 16-point 77-61 victo- ry over Canada, the U.S. had the gold, while South Korea was awarded the silver and Canada the bronze. Blazejowski, the USA’s leading scorer averaging 18.7 points, was named as the best forward at the competition and Heiss was voted the most popular player. The United States’ gold medal gave the USA its third World title and ended the Soviet streak of five consecutive crowns. The same team went on to win the 1979 R. William Jones Cup in Taiwan and finished the summer with a silver medal at the Pan American Games.
1979 USA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP TEAM ROSTER
1979 USA RESULTS (5-1)
NAME
POS HGT WGT AGE AFFILIATION
HOMETOWN
South Korea
L, 82-94 W, 66-64 W, 84-65 W, 74-59 W, 80-59 W, 77-61
Italy
Carol Blazejowski Barbara Brown Denise Curry Tara Heiss Kris Kirchner Ann Meyers Jill Rankin Jackie Swaim Jan Trombly Nancy Lieberman
F C F G C F G F C F C G
5-10 6-0 6-1 5-6 6-4 5-9 6-3 6-1 6-0 5-10
150 140 162 132 163 150 135 166 170 155 180 130
22 20 19 22 19 20 24 20 20 21 21 20
Montclair State College Stephen F. Austin State
Fairview, NJ Dallas, TX Davis, CA Bethesda, MD
Japan
UCLA
Australia France Canada
Maryland Maryland
New Providence, NJ Far Rockaway, NY
Old Dominion
UCLA
La Habra, CA Phillips, TX Jacksonville, TX Chazy, NY Emerson, AR Knoxville, TN
Wayland Baptist College
Texas
FINAL STANDINGS
Old Dominion
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
United States (5-1)*
Rosie Walker Holly Warlick
6-1 5-6
Stephen F. Austin State
Tennessee
S. Korea (7-1)* Canada (7-1)* Australia (4-3) Italy (4-4) Japan (2-6) France (2-6)
HEAD COACH: Pat Head, University of Tennessee ASSISTANT COACH: Betty Jo Crumm, Weatherford College(TX) ATHLETIC TRAINER: Karen Miller, California Poly Tech-Pomona MANAGER: Lea Plarski, St Louis Community College-Florissant Valley (MO)
Netherlands (4-2)
9. Brazil (4-2) 10. Bolivia (2-4) 11. Malaysia (1-5) 12. Senegal (0-6)
1979 USA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP TEAM CUMULATIVE STATISTICS
NAME
G/S
FGM-A
PCT
FTM-A
PCT
REB
PTS
A
Blazejowski Jill Rankin Rosie Walker Kris Kirchner Ann Meyers Denise Curry Tara Heiss Jackie Swaim Jan Trombly
6 6 6 6 6 6 6 4 3 6 6 6
48-101
0.475
16- 23
0.696
21/ 3.5 21/ 3.5 28/ 4.7 22/ 3.7 41/ 6.8 13/ 2.1 16/ 2.7 11/ 1.8
112/18.7 55/ 9.2 49/ 8.2 48/ 8.0 44/ 7.3 41/ 6.8 35/ 5.8 31/ 5.2 19/ 4.8 16/ 5.3
n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 11
23- 20- 20- 20- 17- 16- 14-
9-10 9-13 8-12 4-12
0.9
0.692 0.667 0.333 0.875
Nancy Lieberman6
7-8 3-4 3-6 3-3 4-4 5-8 2-3
0.75
0.5
8- 6- 1- 2-
1 1
8/ 1.3 5/ 0.8 3/ 0.5 9/ 1.5
Barbara Brown 3
0.625 0.667 .650 .718
7/ 2.3 6/ 1.0
Holly Warlick
USA OPP.
195-416 .469 153-356 .430
63- 97 84-117
199/33.2 463/ 77.2
53
91/15.2
402/ 67.0
n/a
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