Stjarnan women's basketball

The Stjarnan women's basketball team, commonly known as Stjarnan, is the women's basketball department of Ungmennafélagið Stjarnan, based in the town of Garðabær, Iceland.[2][3]

For the men's team, see Stjarnan men's basketball.
Stjarnan
Leagues1. deild kvenna
FoundedStjarnan
2009–present
ArenaÁsgarður
LocationGarðabær, Iceland
Team colorsBlue, White
   
PresidentHilmar Júlíusson[1]
Head coachMargrét Sturlaugsdóttir
WebsiteStjarnan.is

History

In 2009, disgruntled Ármann players, unhappy with poor training facilities and lack of practice time, contacted Stjarnan and inquired if the board would be interested in starting a women's team. The board responded positively and in the end the entire Ármann team transferred over.[4]

Stjarnan finished first in the second-tier 1. deild kvenna in 2015 and defeated Njarðvík in the playoffs to win promotion to the top-tier Úrvalsdeild kvenna for the first time in its history.[5][6]

After a disappointing first season, where high scoring guard Chelsie Schweers was fired mid-season[7] and head coach Baldur Ingi Jónasson resigned before the seasons end,[8] Stjarnan bounced back in 2016-2017 behind Danielle Rodriguez stellar play and made it to the playoffs.[9] They were beaten 3-0 by Snæfell in the semi-finals.[10]

On 13 February 2019, behind Rodriguez 33 points, including a three-point heave from just inside the half-court line to finish the first half, Stjarnan's won Breiðablik, 103-82, in the Icelandic Cup semi-finals, advancing to the Cup finals for the first time in its history.[11]

On June 7 2019, the board of Stjarnan withdrew the team from the Úrvalsdeild for the upcoming season and registered for the second-tier 1. deild kvenna, stating that it was necessary after several of its starters had left the team.[12] On 22 August it was reported that the board had withdrew the team from the 1. deild kvenna after it delayed hiring a new head coach. A spokesperson for the board stated that it did not want to field a team that relied to much on non-homegrown players.[13] The club was criticized for its actions in withdrawing the team, including by former player Ragna Margrét Brynjarsdóttir, especially since the argument of homegrown players did not apply to its men's team where the wast majority of players did not come up through Stjarnan's youth program.[14]

Season by season
Season Tier League Pos. W–L Playoffs Icelandic Cup
2009–10 2 1. deild kvenna 4th 7–8 DNQ 1st Round
2010–11 2 1. deild kvenna 1st 12–2 Runner-up 1st Round
2011–12 2 1. deild kvenna 3rd 11–4 DNQ 2nd Round
2012–13 2 1. deild kvenna 2nd 12–4 Runner-up 2nd Round
2013–14 2 1. deild kvenna 4th 8–6 DNQ 1st Round
2014–15 2 1. deild kvenna 2nd 8–4 Promotion 1st Round
2015–16 1 Úrvalsdeild kvenna 6th 3–21 DNQ SF
2016–17 1 Úrvalsdeild kvenna 4th 14–14 SF QF
2017–18 1 Úrvalsdeild kvenna 5th 14–14 DNQ 1st Round
2018–19 1 Úrvalsdeild kvenna 3rd 18–10 SF Runner-up
2019–20 Did not participate
2020–21 2 1. deild kvenna TBD 0–0 TBD TBD

Trophies and awards

Trophies
2011[15]

Awards

Úrvalsdeild Women's Domestic All-First Team

Úrvalsdeild Women's Foreign Player of the Year

Úrvalsdeild Women's Defensive Player of the Year

Notable players

Coaches

References
  1. "Stjarnan - Stjórn". stjarnan.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  2. "Félög - Stjarnan". kki.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  3. "Um félagið". stjarnan.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  4. "Stjarnan teflir fram mfl. kvenna í fyrsta sinn!". karfan.is (in Icelandic). 12 August 2009. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  5. "Stjarnan upp í úrvalsdeild". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 14 April 2015. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  6. "Kæru Njarðvíkur vísað frá - Stjarnan leikur í efstu deild". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). 22 April 2015. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  7. Óskar Ófeigur Jónsson (29 December 2015). "Ráku stigahæsta leikmann deildarinnar". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 19 February 2019.
  8. "Baldur Ingi kveður Garðabæinn". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 5 February 2016. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  9. Sindri Sverrisson (28 March 2017). "Langlíklegast að Snæfell fullkomni fernuna". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  10. Óskar Ófeigur Jónsson (7 April 2017). "94 prósent sigurhlutfall hjá Gunnhildi í undanúrslitaeinvígum". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  11. Valur Páll Eiríksson (13 February 2019). "Stjarnan í bikarúrslit í fyrsta sinn". RÚV (in Icelandic). Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  12. Óskar Ófeigur Jónsson (7 June 2019). "Stjarnan þriðja félagið á fjórum árum sem hættir við þátttöku í Domino´s deild kvenna". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 7 June 2019.
  13. Óskar Ófeigur Jónsson (22 August 2019). "Stjarnan búin að draga kvennaliðið sitt úr keppni í tveimur deildum í sumar". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 22 August 2019.
  14. "Stjarnan harðlega gagnrýnd". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 5 December 2019. Retrieved 6 December 2019.
  15. "1. deild kvenna". kki.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 1 March 2018.
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