Dakota Wizards facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dakota Wizards
League	NBA G League
Founded	1995
History	Dakota Wizards, 1995–2012 -> IBA: 1995–2001, CBA: 2001–2006, NBA D- League: 2006–2012; Santa Cruz Warriors, 2012–present
Arena	Bismarck Civic Center
Location	Bismarck, North Dakota
Team colors	Royal Blue, Golden Yellow, White, Purple, Green
Affiliation(s)	Chicago Bulls, Golden State Warriors, Memphis Grizzlies, Washington Wizards
Championships	(4) 2 CBA 1 IBA 1 D-League
Division/Conference titles	(7) 3 CBA 2 IBA 2 D-League
Uniforms
Home Away

The Dakota Wizards were a professional basketball team from Bismarck, North Dakota. They played in the NBA Development League (now called the NBA G League) from 2006 to 2012. After the 2011–12 season, the team moved to Santa Cruz, California. It is now known as the Santa Cruz Warriors. Before joining the D-League, the Wizards played for 11 years in other smaller American leagues. These included the International Basketball Association (IBA) and the Continental Basketball Association (CBA).

History of the Dakota Wizards

Early Years and Championships (1995–2006)

The Dakota Wizards started playing in 1995 in the International Basketball Association (IBA). In 2001, with coach Dave Joerger, they won the IBA championship. This was in the league's final year.

After the 2000–01 season, the IBA joined with teams from the Continental Basketball Association (CBA). In their first year in the new CBA, Coach Joerger and the Wizards won another league title. They beat the Rockford Lightning in the finals. The Wizards reached the semifinals in the 2002–03 season. Then, in 2004, they won the CBA title again, defeating the Idaho Stampede. This gave Coach Joerger his third championship with the Wizards.

After the 2003–04 season, Coach Joerger left to coach the Sioux Falls Skyforce. Casey Owens, a former assistant coach, took over as head coach. The Wizards lost their first two games against the Skyforce. But then they went on a 12-game winning streak! They lost to Sioux Falls again on New Year's Eve, 2004. Two potential all-stars, Billy Keys and Dickey Simpkins, left the team to play overseas. Even so, the Wizards finished with a great 32–16 record. This gave them home-court advantage for the 2005 playoffs. They played the Sioux Falls Skyforce in the first round. Sioux Falls won Game 5 with a 102–97 victory, ending the Wizards' playoff run.

For the 2005–06 season, Dave Bliss became the new coach. He had coached at Baylor University before. However, the team's performance dropped. They went from first place in 2005 to missing the playoffs in 2006. Bliss resigned after the season. The Wizards finished with a 19–29 record that year.

Joining the D-League (2006–2007)

In April 2006, the Wizards and three other teams left the CBA. They decided to join the growing NBA Development League.

For their first D-League season, the Wizards brought back coach Dave Joerger. He led them to a 33–17 record in 2006–07. This was the best record in the Eastern Division. Joerger then guided them to the Championship Game. Forward Darius Rice had an amazing night in that game. He scored 52 points and made 11 three-pointers! One of his three-pointers tied the game with 4.5 seconds left. This sent the game into overtime. The Wizards won 129–121 against the Colorado 14ers. Rice's points and three-pointers set new D-League championship game records.

Later Seasons and New Affiliations (2007–2011)

After the 2006–07 season, Coach Dave Joerger left to become an assistant coach for the Memphis Grizzlies. Duane Ticknor was hired to replace him. In July 2007, the Wizards also became connected with the Memphis Grizzlies and the Washington Wizards NBA teams.

In the 2007–08 season, the Wizards were champions of their division again. They finished first in the Central Division. However, they lost in the first round of the playoffs to their rivals, the Sioux Falls Skyforce. The Wizards continued to make the playoffs in 2008–09 and 2009–10. But in 2010–11, they missed the playoffs for the first time since 2005–06. This was only the second time they missed the postseason since 1998–99. The Wizards ended the 2010–11 season with a 19–31 record. They were in fourth place in the Eastern Conference.

New Ownership and Final Season (2011–2012)

On June 28, 2011, the Golden State Warriors bought the Wizards team. This made the Warriors the fourth NBA team to own their own D-League team. Other teams like San Antonio, Oklahoma City, and the Los Angeles Lakers also owned their D-League affiliates.

The Wizards stayed in Bismarck for the 2011–12 season. However, the Warriors planned to move the team to Northern California in 2012. To show the new ownership, the Wizards got new colors: the Warriors' blue and gold. These colors were used for their home uniforms and logo. Their old purple and green colors were still used for their road uniforms. Edwin Ubiles led the Wizards in 2011–12. He helped the team return to the playoffs with a 29–21 record. But they lost 2–0 to the Bakersfield Jam in the first round.

The Team Relocates

After many talks about moving, the Golden State Warriors announced the news on October 10, 2012. The Dakota Wizards would move to Santa Cruz for the 2012–13 season. The team was then renamed the Santa Cruz Warriors.

Season by Season Performance

This table shows how the Dakota Wizards performed each season. It includes their league, division, final standing, wins, losses, and playoff results.

Retired Jersey Numbers

Some players were so important to the Dakota Wizards that their jersey numbers were retired. This means no other player on the team can wear that number again.

• Kevin Rice (#32)
• Kevin Beard (#35)
• Willie Murdaugh (#41)

All-Time Best Team

In May 2012, a sports reporter named Lou Babiarz picked the 15 best players in Dakota Wizards history. This was just before the team moved to Santa Cruz.

NBA Team Connections

The Dakota Wizards had connections with several NBA teams over the years. These connections are called affiliations.

• Chicago Bulls (2006–2007)
• Memphis Grizzlies (2007–2011)
• Washington Wizards (2006–2011)
• Golden State Warriors (2011–present as the Santa Cruz Warriors)