Connie Kunzmann

Kunzmann made the transition from halfcourt six-on-six basketball in high school to the traditional five-on-five full court game in college and the pros.

In 1978, she signed with the Iowa Cornets of the newly-formed WBL, which was the first women's professional basketball league in the United States.

Kunzmann's team, the Nebraska Wranglers, canceled their game on February 10 when investigators disclosed that she had been killed.

Kunzmann's death was a national news story – with reports being filed regularly during the search for her body, which was hindered for nearly a week by poor weather conditions.

An autopsy concluded the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head by an object, likely a tire iron.

[3] After playing her first three seasons at guard, Everly's principal Larry Johnson suggested she switch to forward.

[6] Kunzmann broke her ankle sliding into third base during a Wildcats softball game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers on April 2, 1976.

On December 30, 1976, she scored 37 points, leading the Wildcats to of 79–69 victory over the Northern Colorado Bears in the championship game of the Chadron State College Holiday Tournament.

[6] Kunzmann signed with the Iowa Cornets of the fledgling Women's Professional Basketball League (WBL) in 1978.

[1] She made the Cornets' starting lineup during their regular season opener on December 15, against the Minnesota Fillies.

[12] Kunzmann and other Cornets staff and players reported that payroll checks issued to them on March 1, 1980 bounced.

[15] During the off-season, Kunzmann coached a girl's six-on-six basketball camp in Cedar Rapids along with teammates Molly Bolin, Tanya Crevier and Nancy Wellen.

[16] The Cornets went through a tumultuous off-season as players and staff publicly aired their grievances against the team's general manager, Rod Lein.

The Cornets head coach, Steve Kirk, and two other staff members resigned because they did not want to work under Lien.

He eventually resigned as general manager, but not before Kunzmann announced her intention to follow Kirk to his new team, the Nebraska Wranglers.

Sybil Blalock of the New Orleans Pride won the inaugural Connie Kunzmann Hustle and Harmony Award.

An arrest warrant was issued for Lance Edward Tibke, who was with Kunzmann at the bar the night she disappeared.

Absent a body, police asserted that Tibke took Kunzmann to Dodge Park, where the two got into an argument that led to her murder.

[23][24] The Associated Press article on Kunzmann's death was published in a number of newspapers across the United States.

We kind of made it our mission to win not only for us but for her as well.Nebraska State Patrol utilized a helicopter and diving unit in the search for Kunzmann's body.

[34] Police announced the following day they had discovered a blood stained jacket, believed to be Kunzmann's, at the Springwell Cemetery.

[35] Kunzmann's funeral service was held on March 6 at Hope Lutheran Church in Everly, Iowa.

[40][41] On June 16, Tibke entered a guilty plea to the second degree murder charge and was taken back into police custody.

[24] He was sentenced to 10 to 40 years in prison on July 10 by Douglas County District Judge Paul Hickman.

[44] Every WBL player, including Kunzmann, was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame "Trailblazers of the Game" wing in 2018.

Police believed that Kuzmann was killed at Dodge Park ( pictured ) and her body was disposed of in the Missouri River . Lance Tibke pleaded guilty to the second degree murder of Kunzmann.