Penny Toler
Encyclopedia
Penny Toler was a Women's National Basketball Association
basketball player. She is currently the general manager of the Los Angeles Sparks
.
, where she became an All-America
n basketball player. During her career Long Beach State made it to the Final Four
twice, in 1987 and 1988. Toler was considered one of the best ever collegiate players under future Hall of Fame coach Joan Bonvicini
. In 1995 she was inducted into the Long Beach State Athletic Hall of Fame.
during the player initiation round in the 1997 WNBA draft
. She is most commonly remembered as the first player to score a basket in the WNBA. She did so against the New York Liberty
on June 21, 1997 19:01 hour at the Los Angeles Great Western Forum. Her shot was a side jumper. Toler also made the first free throw in the WNBA history.
In November 1999 she retired as a player to become the general manager of the Los Angeles Sparks. Immediately after taking on a management role, she would assemble the Los Angeles Sparks roster that would become the championship team in 2001.
Among all professional men or women sports league, Toler would become the fastest person to go from a player to general manager status to winning a championship in the short span of just 2 years.
, two seasons in Greece
, and a season in Israel
. While in Italy, she won a scoring title, two assist titles, and was MVP of the Italian all-star game.
WNBA Career Averages
WNBA Career Playoff Totals
WNBA Career Playoff Averages
Women's National Basketball Association
The Women's National Basketball Association is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. It currently is composed of twelve teams. The league was founded on April 24, 1996 as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association...
basketball player. She is currently the general manager of the Los Angeles Sparks
Los Angeles Sparks
The Los Angeles Sparks is a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season began...
.
College years
Toler began her college career at San Diego State, sat out a year, and then transferred to Long Beach StateLong Beach State 49ers
'An NCAA Division I member, Long Beach State has 18 sports teams and plays competitively in baseball, cross country, softball, track and field, women's tennis, and women's soccer, as well as both men's and women's basketball, volleyball, water polo and golf teams...
, where she became an All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n basketball player. During her career Long Beach State made it to the Final Four
Final four
Final Four isa sports term that is commonly applied to the last four teams remaining in a playoff tournament, most notably NCAA Division I college basketball tournaments. The term usually refers to the four teams who compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final round...
twice, in 1987 and 1988. Toler was considered one of the best ever collegiate players under future Hall of Fame coach Joan Bonvicini
Joan Bonvicini
Joan Bonvicini is the current head coach for the Seattle University women's basketball team, the Redhawks, and one of only 18 coaches in Division I women's basketball history with 600 career victories. She was head coach at the University of Arizona for 17 seasons, leading the Wildcats to the...
. In 1995 she was inducted into the Long Beach State Athletic Hall of Fame.
WNBA career
Toler was a point guard allocated to the Los Angeles SparksLos Angeles Sparks
The Los Angeles Sparks is a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season began...
during the player initiation round in the 1997 WNBA draft
1997 WNBA Draft
The 1997 WNBA Draft was the first annual draft held by the WNBA through which teams could select new players from a talent pool of college and professional women's basketball players. Unlike later drafts, this draft was unique because there were three different stages in which teams built their...
. She is most commonly remembered as the first player to score a basket in the WNBA. She did so against the New York Liberty
New York Liberty
The New York Liberty is a professional basketball team based in New York City, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was one of the eight original franchises of the league...
on June 21, 1997 19:01 hour at the Los Angeles Great Western Forum. Her shot was a side jumper. Toler also made the first free throw in the WNBA history.
In November 1999 she retired as a player to become the general manager of the Los Angeles Sparks. Immediately after taking on a management role, she would assemble the Los Angeles Sparks roster that would become the championship team in 2001.
Among all professional men or women sports league, Toler would become the fastest person to go from a player to general manager status to winning a championship in the short span of just 2 years.
International career
By the time the WNBA launched, Toler had already spent 8 years playing basketball overseas. She has played five seasons in ItalyItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, two seasons in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, and a season in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. While in Italy, she won a scoring title, two assist titles, and was MVP of the Italian all-star game.
Career statistics
WNBA Career Totals| Year | Team | G | GS | MIN | FGM | FGA | FTM | FTA | 3PTM | 3PTA | REB | AST | STL | TO | BLK | PTS |
| 1997 | LA | 28 | 28 | 907 | 144 | 338 | 73 | 87 | 7 | 38 | 94 | 143 | 36 | 107 | 3 | 368 |
| 1998 | LA | 30 | 30 | 945 | 145 | 349 | 55 | 74 | 25 | 60 | 106 | 143 | 32 | 101 | 3 | 370 |
| 1999 | LA | 30 | 4 | 427 | 51 | 150 | 39 | 45 | 2 | 13 | 43 | 66 | 13 | 40 | 0 | 143 |
| Totals | 88 | 62 | 2,279 | 340 | 837 | 167 | 206 | 34 | 111 | 243 | 352 | 81 | 248 | 6 | 881 |
WNBA Career Averages
| Year | Team | MIN | FG% | FT% | 3PT% | REB | AST | STL | TO | BLK | PTS |
| 1997 | LA | 32.4 | .426 | .839 | .184 | 3.4 | 5.1 | 1.3 | 3.8 | 0.1 | 13.1 |
| 1998 | LA | 31.5 | .415 | .743 | .417 | 3.5 | 4.8 | 1.1 | 3.4 | 0.1 | 12.3 |
| 1999 | LA | 14.2 | .340 | .867 | .154 | 1.4 | 2.2 | 0.4 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 4.8 |
| Totals | 25.9 | .406 | .811 | .306 | 2.8 | 4.0 | 0.9 | 2.8 | 0.1 | 10.0 |
WNBA Career Playoff Totals
| Year | Team | G | GS | MIN | FGM | FGA | FTM | FTA | 3PTM | 3PTA | REB | AST | STL | TO | BLK | PTS |
| 1999 | LA | 4 | 0 | 42 | 4 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
WNBA Career Playoff Averages
| Year | Team | MIN | FG% | FT% | 3PT% | REB | AST | STL | TO | BLK | PTS |
| 1999 | LA | 10.5 | .333 | .500 | .000 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 2.5 |