Carol Ann Blazejowski (born September 29, 1956) is an American former basketball player and the former president and general manager of the New York Liberty of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Blazejowski was inducted in the inaugural class at the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999.
Family
Born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Blazejowski is the daughter of Leon and Grace (John) Blazejowski. She is an out lesbian.
College and amateur career
Using a jump shot patterned after what she saw in televised professional games, Blazejowski became one of the greatest scorers in the history of women's basketball, although she didn't begin serious competition until her senior year at Cranford High School in Cranford, New Jersey. She led the nation in scoring with 33.5 points per game in 1976/77 and 38.6 points per game in 1977/78. Blazejowski scored 40 or more points in each of her last three games, including the semifinal loss to eventual champion UCLA. Sports Illustrated would call Blazejowski, "the most relentlessly exciting performer in the history of women's basketball". Similar to all-time men's collegiate scoring record holder, Pete Maravich, "The Blaze" played during an era without the three-point shot.
After finishing her college career, Blazejowski played two seasons of AAU basketball with the Allentown, Pennsylvania, Crestettes. She often scored over 40 points in a game, and led the team to the semifinals both years, and once to a second-place finish.
!scope="col"|Year
!scope="col"|Team
!scope="col"|
!scope="col"|Points
!scope="col"|
!scope="col"|
!scope="col"|
!scope="col"|
!scope="col"|
|-
|1975
|Montclair State College
|17
|333
|48.4%
|70.4%
|11.0
|1.7
|19.6
|-
|1976
|Montclair State College
|25
|712
|55.2%
|77.3%
|10.2
|2.8
|28.5
|-
|1977
|Montclair State College
|27
|919
|56.5%
|79.6%
|10.1
|2.6
|34.0
|-
|1978
|Montclair State College
|32
|1235
|56.9%
|83.7%
|9.9
|3.0
|38.6
|-
|Career
|
|101
|3199
|55.4%
|79.5%
|10.2
|2.6
|31.7
|}
USA Basketball
Only an alternate on the 1976 Olympic team, Blazejowski led the 1977 World University Games team in scoring and had 38 points in a losing effort against the Soviet Union.
Honors and cultural references
In 1994, Blazejowski was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts, as well as, the National Polish American Sports Hall of Fame. In 1999, she was inducted into the inaugural class of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Blazejowski is a hidden player in NBA Jam Tournament Edition, accessible via a cheat code. In the game, she possesses impressive three-point shooting abilities. She is also a hidden player in NBA Jam Extreme.
In 2017, Blazejowski was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame.
The basketball courts at Lincoln Park in Cranford, New Jersey were dedicated in her honor in 2017.
Notes
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References
External links
- Basketball Hall of Fame profile
- National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame profile
- Blaze's Pioneer Spirit, Newsday, May 15, 1999
- Trailblazer, New Jersey Monthly magazine, February 11, 2009