Commissioner Self-Report of the Suspension of the Philly Women’s Summer League Proves Pre-Mature by the Same Said Commissioner 24 Hours Later

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

 Though the bulk of this site deals with local/national women’s collegiate basketball year-round with game coverage across the winter and the WNBA year-round with the season activity across the summer, this is also the main coverage site from mid-June to the start of August of the Philadelphia/Suburban Women’s Summer League, though there are several other notable local outlets that zero in on players attached to their publishing targets.

Recently as the collegiate season came down the stretch into early last month and the WNBA draft kicking off the start of the pro summer quickly followed, behind the scenes the summer league, which is open to D-2 and D-3 active players and alums from any division, including D-1, the league’s  health had gone into a crisis situation.

Longtime Commissioner David “Deuce” Kessler, heading into his 32nd season (minus the cancelled CoVid summer or including it) had not heard from the AAU Renegades that hosted the two-night-a-week schedule at their facility: Kelly Bolish Gym, 2950 Turnpike Drive in Willow Grove Business Park, near the intersection of Davisville and Byberry Roads near Hatboro, Pa.

In recent seasons, Ari Bluestein, the principal broadcast voice of the Drexel Women, even streamed the semifinals one season and the championship twice with his Sports Fan Base Network.

There could have been a myriad of reasons, none good, for the Renegades’ non-contact and the search began for an alternative place.

Possibilities were limited because three courts were needed, though it could be that two would do the job, besides other factors in play that also included rental price and distance.

As the time to send out the registration alert neared, it appeared that Lincoln High in Northeast Philly loomed as a potential place, the pluses being a cost-effective rental price and air conditioning, the negatives being distance in terms where most participants hail plus the actual procedural work required to make the formal application.

After weighing all of it, the commissioner put the league into an induced coma, as illustration, not pulling the plug but foregoing this summer and he put the word out.

Well, happily within 24 hours the league’s pulse began to strengthen and active life renewed last weekend in the form of the long-awaited Renegades contact that occurred and registration solicitation has begun.

The per-player fee is $167 covering shirt cost and name and number on the front and back plus operational costs for basketballs, paper, toner, and such for the commissioner’s separate game-night newsletter and post-season awards.

There is a reasonably priced snack bar at the gym.

One adjustment, in June when play begins the 17th the nights will be Wednesday and Thursday at 6:30 p.m. for the front games of doubleheaders with a 15-minute grace period before a forfeit declared for lack of eligible players and then 7:45 p.m. for the nightcaps, which have no grace for potential forefeits.

Game nights will return to Tuesday and Wednesday in July with the playoffs tentatively set to conclude on July 31.

D-II and D-III schools can play as whole, if desired, under NCAA rules, though there are no NIL deals and any thing approaching a transfer portal occurs after draft night and before the season begins to try to even out the competition where possible.

Players not involved in whole or mostly whole team equivalent rosters are placed in what is termed draft squads by their identities. Teams are usually self-coached in more recent times.

The payment should be via Zelle to 215-518-7877 with the registration form emailed to deucedbk@comcast.net OR a check or money order to:

 David Kessler

310 Wyndale Drive

Chalfont, Pa. 18914-2940

 

The Deadline is Friday, May 16 for registration and the greatest number of teams is likely 10-12.

 

The draft night will be Thursday, May 22, 7:30 p.m. at Kelly Bolish Gym.

 

All questions should go to Kessler 215-518-7877 or need for the registration form to be emailed, you can copy the way I got it into the bottom and then put it into a word or other program and then fill out the questions and make it an attachment to email to the commissioner as we call him or league director as he calls himself. 

 

High school graduating seniors and up are eligible as long as they are not heading for active eligibility at D-1 schools this fall or already are previously enrolled and active.

 

The schedule and all the rosters in play will be posted here in advance of the season.

Two Addendums. The first is the commissioner is interested in acquiring some sponsorship(s), which could then lessen the registration cost and maybe even add some amenities.

The second is those interested in doing features or other coverage (perhaps even creating video podcasts) — Bob  Heller does an outstanding job somehow providing details of each game — the only stat kept is points — contact yours truly. Though the role here can be handled remotely but there are nights that conflict occurs between needing to be on a WNBA scene, though while we’re here, if interested in doing some WNBA coverage, the nearby teams in lieu of none here are New York in Brooklyn or Washington, which can be done one-day pending tip times and transportation — amtrak has cheap fares on late night return — the other up at the Connecticut Sun at the Mohegan Sun Arena.

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2025 PHILADELPHIA/SUBURBAN WOMEN’S SUMMER BASKETBALL LEAGUE REGISTRATION FORM

NAME:

ADDRESS:

CELL NUMBER, AND EMAIL ADDRESS:

HEIGHT , SHIRT SIZE, AND BIRTHDATE:

HIGH SCHOOL ATTENDED AND YEAR OF GRADUATION

COLLEGE ATTENDED (OR WILL ATTEND) AND YEAR OF GRADUATION

ARE YOU ENTERING WITH YOUR COLLEGE TEAM? BEING DRAFTED BY YOURSELF? OR

ENTERING WITH FRIENDS? IF ENTERING WITH FRIENDS, INDICATE THEIR NAMES SO YOU

CAN BE PLACED ON THE SAME TEAM.

EMAIL THIS FORM BY THE FRIDAY MAY 16 DEADLINE TO:

deucedbk@comcast.net

FEE OF $167 SHOULD BE PAID BY THE FRIDAY MAY 16 DEADLINE VIA ZELLE TO: 215 518-7877

OR A CHECK OR MONEY ORDER CAN BE MAILED TO:

DAVID KESSLER

310 WYNDALE DRIVE

CHALFONT, PA. 18914-3940

CHECK SHOULD BE MADE OUT TO: “WOMEN’S BASKETBALL LEAGUE”

ANY QUESTIONS? PLEASE CONTACT THE COMMISSIONER: 

DAVID KESSLER, LEAGUE DIRECTOR

215 518-7877 deucedbk@comcast.net