MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / June 16, 1999

GRAMERCY – The Women’s National Basketball League is on the rise.

The opener of the league’s third season was televised nationally Thursday night. When the American Basketball League folded last December, many ofits best players were drafted into the WNBA. Two new teams, Orlando andMinnesota, began play this year and four more will start up next season.

But all that would not have been possible if it had not been for the All- American Red Heads.

The All-American Red Heads, out of Caraway, Ark., were the first women’sbasketball league, originated in 1936 by C.M. Olsen. The Red Heads traveledaround the country, playing men’s teams while entertaining the crowd with tricks reminiscent of the Harlem Globetrotters.

The Red Heads were honored for their contributions to the game June 5 by having a section of the new Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in Knoxville, Tenn. dedicated to them. The Red Heads were also made honorary citizensand bailiffs of Knoxville and the governor of Tennessee declared June 5 as “The All-American Red Head Day” to be celebrated annually.

And among those being honored was Gramercy’s very own Pat “Watusi” Deroche Weber, also known as the “Cajun Queen.” Weber played for the RedHeads from 1969-71 after helping lead Lutcher High School to one of its most successful periods in its history. When she heard that the Red Headswas getting a room dedicated in its honor at the Hall of Fame, she could hardly believe it.

“It was like some kind of dream,” Weber said. “I wouldn’t miss it for theworld. It was unbelievable. To think, I was a small-town country girl whoplayed basketball because I loved it. Words can’t describe it.”The room includes memorabilia from the Red Heads’ playing days, including the limousine that they traveled around the country in. Theteam’s uniforms are on display as are pictures of the players.

“It shows most of our history and what we have done,” Weber said.

Weber said the team went to a WNBA game and then to a special banquet.

The occasion gave the team members a chance to get reacquainted with each other.

“We were all in awe,” Weber said. “We were so happy to see each other.We couldn’t do enough to catch up on old times. To be together and bringback all the old memories, it’s hard to describe.” Weber graduated from Lutcher after a career that saw her win all-state honors and helped the Lady Bulldogs reach the state tournament. Weberwanted to go to college and continue to play basketball but at that time, no scholarships were available for women.

Weber heard about the Red Heads and contacted them. Officials from theteam traveled down to Gramercy to interview Weber and to have her show what she could do. Before she knew it, she was on the team. Weber washesitant at first about joining the team but soon decided to go ahead with it.

“I thought about it,” Weber said. “I asked myself where would I ever get achance again. I said I’m going to do it because I would never get the chanceagain.”Weber traveled to the Red Heads’ camp in Caraway. The team playedalmost every night and twice on Sundays. The players would take onemonth off to travel home before starting the season over again.

Weber said it was very rough at times with the team traveling over 60,000 miles a year. Players would catch up on sleep while traveling. Attimes, the team’s coach, Charles Plummer, would stop the car and have the players run five or six miles to get their road work in.

The Red Heads had their rooms paid for on the road but had to pay for their own meals. Team members were paid $400 a month but Weber said theplayers were not in it for the money.

“We valued the game so much,” Weber said. “We played basketball becausewe loved the game of basketball. We didn’t play to be famous. We put a lotof value into the game.”At that time, women’s basketball was played with half-court rules but the Red Heads played by the full-court rules of the men’s game. Towns woulduse the games as a fundraiser with organizations like the Knights of Columbus and the VFW often supplying the opposition.

“They would find the best team with men and we would play them,” Weber said. “We played some good teams.”Weber’s favorite memory was the time the Red Heads played the Kansas City Chiefs football team. Weber, the team’s shortest player, was matchedup against the Chiefs’ biggest, Buck Buchanan. The Red Heads came awaywith the victory in that game as they did more often than not in their games.

While the Red Heads played to win, they would also use trick plays and shots during the game. The team also put on a halftime show. The team hadits own comedienne and each player had a specialty shot they would demonstrate. Weber’s signature shot was one from behind her back and bythe end of the year, she could sink that shot from midcourt.

“You got better more you did it,” Weber said. “Every game was ourpractice.”One of Weber’s teammates was Teresa Bergeron from Destrehan. Bergeron,called “T-Bird” by her teammates, was the team’s dribbling star.

The Red Heads drew quite a crowd wherever they played. And Weber saidthe teams they played with enjoyed the experience.

“At the end of every game, they would say how much they enjoyed playing against us,” Weber said. “We played basketball and put on a good show atthe same time.”It was around that time that the sports world was under going a transition. Title IX was passed in the early 1970s, giving women moreopportunities in college athletics. With the formation of leagues like theWNBA, women’s sports have risen to a new level.

“I do believe that we had a real impact on what is happening today,” Weber said.

Weber played for the Red Heads for three years before deciding to leave.

She still plays basketball with her two sons, Lance and Dexter. At thesame, she still remembers fondly her days of traveling around the country doing what she loved.

“I had that experience for three years,” Weber said. “You never forgetsomething like that.”

Return To Sports Stories

Copyright © 1998, Wick Communications, Inc.

Internet services provided by NeoSoft.

Best viewed with 3.0 or higher