History of The Wisla Female Basketball Section

A female basketball section was created in Wisla in 1946. From the beginning it has been the most glamorous section in the Wisla Sports Club. For time immemorial, female basketball players has been the apple of the eye of the White Star. They won laurels again and again, the first championship in 1963, the recent one in 1988. They won twenty times altogether. The rich collection of the club has been enlarged by 10 silver medals, 5 brown medals and 4 Polish Cups.

When female basketball section was being created for the first time in Wisla, it was based on members of athlete section. In 1948 Wisla players won the Cracow championship and it was the turning point of their advancement - Wisla entered basketball top league. The White Star came out in the new created league in 1950, two tears later it won the second place.

The final shape of the team at that time was accepted by Halina Oszast, Maria Kowalówka, Irena Mamińska and Jadwiga Kirschanek. Until 1956 the team has thrived under the protection of Jerzy Groyecki. On 1th September, 1965, the instructor of the female team became Ludwik Miętta - Mikołajewicz (the contemporary president of the Wisla Sport Association). This person contributed the most to the successful play of the female basketball players. The big time for the team started in 1961, when female juniors won the championship of Poland. The championship of the seniors soon followed. In 1963,the female basketball players won laurels and reached the highest podium. These successes were quite a surprise for the rest of a basketball league. The glorious Wisla female team won laurels again and again, continuously, until 1988. The stroke of luck failed only in 1978 and in 1986.

Fabulous team from Cracow marked its presence on the international scene, too. They played for the European golden cup. Many fans will never forget the final round in 1970, when Vistula lost only to TTT Daugawa- Ryga. The White Star competed in semi-finals of the European golden cup tournaments three times after.

Obviously, the famous coach - Miętta-Mikołajewicz, had a lucky hand finding new talents for the team and motivating female basketball players to play the best they could. The core of the team in the 60ties constituted: Irena Górska, Krystyna Likszo, Alina Szostak, Barbara Rogowska and Janina Wojtal. The last from the list was the only Polish female player who was included to the european basketball representation for the round with France in 1972. The european selector of that time was Ludwik Miętta-Mikołajewicz.

The amazing 70ties brought more windfalls and successes. The lucky team was completed from such celebrities as Elżbieta Biesiekierska, Lucyna Januszkiewicz, Halina Iwaniec, Halina Kalkuta and Teresa Starowieyska. There were many more glamorous female players in the 70ties. They all created the strenght of the winning basketball team of the time. Let us say a few words about the three of the players: Halina Iwaniec, Halina Kaluta and Lucyna Januszkiewicz. They all got to the Wisla team in 1972 and became foreground players.

Halina Iwaniec came to Wisla from Stalowa Wola, where her unusual talent had been already noticed. Soon it became obvious that she was cut be a foreground player in the team. Thankfully to her unbelievable presence of mind, and her infallible directing of play, she became a backbone of both, the Wisla basketball team and the Polish national team. She put on a t-shirt with the emblem of the white Star for 247 times. Her best achievements were double silver in European championships; in 1980 and in 1981, and a membership in the team of the Polish national team under the command of Ludwik Miętta.

Halina Kaluta came to Wisla after her career had started in Bolesławiec. Fast, dynamic, playing non-standard tricks, this woman gained widespread adoration from fans of female basketball. She supported the national team 188 times.

Lucyna Januszkiewicz had played in Cracowian Korona, before she was fetched to Wisla. Her unbelievable merits such as prowess an accurate eye guaranteed her a place in the national team. She represented Poland 199 times.

The 80ties were abundant in excellent players, too. Grażyna Seweryn and Marta Starowicz were impossible to disregard. The other brilliant basketball players of the time were: Tamara Czelakowska, Anna Jaskurzyńska and Aldona Patycka. In the end of the 80ties new female players entered the team. They were: Izabela Maj and Małgorzata Kardas. The first half of the 90ties were an ordeal for the Wisla team. The Team was enlargened by new players from behind the Eastern border: Wiera Jarcewa and Janina Kalento. The only success, however, was the second place in the championship in 1992. At that time, Cracowian team lost to Włókniarz Pabianice in a decisive round, in the Cracowian sports hall.

In 1993, Ekaterina Ruban joined the team. One year later, the team was enlargened by two new faces: Krystyna Szymańska-Lara and Eugenia Nikonowa. At that time, Polish representants; Patrycja Czepiec and Anna Wielebnowska, started playing in the team. In 1999, Wisla female players became runners-up in the Polish championship. After that success, financial problems emerged and weakened the team. The Wisla club was left by its best contenders: Krystyna Szymańska-Lara, Patrycja Czepiec and Anna Wielebnowska. Despite that mischance, the rest of the team thrived and did not let themselves to drop off the top league.

A new hope for reviving the glamorous tradition appeared together with gaining a new strategic sponsor: CAN-PACK corporation. The patronage deal has been signed in the Cracowian Wisla Sports Association headquarters, on 13th of June, 2003. It has been signed by the president of the CAN-PACK S.A company (Wiesław Smulski) and the president of the Wisla Sports Club: Ludwik Miętta Mikolajewicz.

SUCCESSES:

Polish Champioship: 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1988, 2006, 2007, 2008.
Second Place in Polish Championship: 1952, 1967, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1983, 1987, 1992, 1999, 2005.
Second Place in European Championship: 1970.
Polish Cup: 1959, 1966, 1967, 1979, 2006.
PZKosz Cup: 1984.