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Spotlight: Debbie Black, Pro Basketball
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Posted: Friday April 30, 1999 04:44 PM
Black is a feisty defender. |
Born: July 29, 1966
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pa.
Upcoming Event: The WNBA Draft, Tuesday, May 4
Worth Watching Because: Since the shutdown of the American Basketball League on December 22, scores of female professional hoopsters have found themselves in limbo. Debbie Black, formerly of the ABL's Colorado Explosion, is one of many talented veterans who hope to make a fresh start with a new team at Tuesday's WNBA draft in New York.
Black, a 5'3" point guard, is a two-time ABL All-Star and was named 1997 Defensive Player of the Year. She stood out among the 63 players who attended the highly competitive WNBA pre-draft camp in Chicago. Black's experience, ability to run the floor, energetic style of play and penchant for diving for loose balls produced impressive camp stats. She ranked fourth in assists (2.75 per game) and sixth in steals (1.5 per game), and finished among the top 20 in rebounding.
Black has come a long way, considering that her career began with an error -- an error in her favor, as it turns out. After finishing college at St. Joseph's in 1988, Black received a call from the Tasmanian Islanders, an Australian women's professional team, who had read in a magazine that Black was 6'3" -- a foot taller than she actually is. Not willing to give up a chance to play pro ball -- which was not an option for women in the U.S. at the time -- Black informed the team of the mistake but convinced the coach to give her a tryout anyway. Black proved herself, playing with the Islanders for eight seasons before heading back home to try out for the ABL. Black was taken by Colorado in the sixth round of the 1996 draft.
Tuesday's draft pool has such a range of talent -- from former ABL stars to top college players such as Chamique Holdsclaw -- that almost no one can feel completely confident of being on a WNBA roster when the league tips off its third season on June 10. Black is hoping that no errors will be made this time around and that at least one team will realize that good things really do come in small packages.
Greatest Success: Achieved one of basketball's rarest feats -- a quadruple double. On December 8, 1996 against Atlanta, Black contributed 10 points, 12 assists, 10 steals and 14 rebounds.
Quote/Unquote: About her ferocity as a rebounder, Black once said, "I've got a good nose for the ball."
Cool Fact: At 5'3", Black was the shortest player in the ABL. Her nickname: "Tasmanian Devil".
Come back soon for a new women's sports Spotlight.
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