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Steel City Yellow Jackets

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(Redirected from Pennsylvania Starz)
Steel City Yellow Jackets
Founded2014
LeagueABA
Based inPittsburgh, Pennsylvania
ArenaA Giving Heart Community Center
ColorsBlack, gold
Head coachAverill D. Pippens
Championships1 (2022)
Division titles2 (2018, 2019)
CheerleadersSteel City HoneyBees
MascotBuzz the Bee
Websitesteelcitybb.com

The Steel City Yellow Jackets are a basketball team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team is a member of the American Basketball Association. They play their home games at A Giving Heart Community Center.

History

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The Yellow Jackets began play on November 8, 2014 as an expansion team competing in the ABA's Northeast Division. The Yellow Jackets played all of their first season home games at the Community College of Allegheny County Allegheny Campus, which is located on Pittsburgh's North Shore, directly behind Heinz Field.

The Steel City Yellow Jackets were originally owned by national recording Hip hop artist Antjuan "Tjuan Benafactor" Washington and Averill 'Ace' Pippens, who also serves as the team's general manager and head coach.[1] Pippens, also known as "Coach Ace", was the assistant coach at Pittsburgh's David B. Oliver High School before becoming assistant, and eventually head coach, of the Penn State McKeesport men's basketball team. Pippens' led Penn State McKeesport to a championship title in 2006.

In 2022, the Yellow Jackets won their first ABA national championship by defeating Team Trouble 123-118.[2] After the game, Jackets' player Kenny Holmes was named the Most Valuable Player of the playoff tournament.

In August 2023, the team announced it would not participate in the 2023–24 ABA season after Averill Pippens was named head coach of Westinghouse High School.[3] Gilmore Cummings and other veteran players from the team attempted to play that season as the Pennsylvania Starz, but were thrown out of the ABA after infringing on the Yellow Jackets' territorial rights by staging a game within Pittsburgh city limits.[4]

Season-by-season

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Season W L Result Playoffs
2014-15 9 4 2nd in Northeast Lost Division Final to Philadelphia Spirit
2015-16 6 4 4th in South Central Lost Division Quarterfinal to Windy City Groove
2016-17 11 9 2nd in Chesapeake Lost Division Semifinal to West Michigan Lake Hawks
2017-18 17 2 1st in North Central Lost Division Quarterfinal to Jacksonville Giants
2018-19 16 2 1st in Mid-Atlantic Lost Division Quarterfinal to Jacksonville Giants
2019-20 16 3 3rd North Central No playoffs held due to COVID-19 pandemic
2020-21 15 3 4th in ABA Lost Division Final to Jacksonville Giants
2021-22 15 2 11th in ABA Won ABA Championship, defeating Team Trouble
2022-23 14 2 10th in ABA Lost Division Quarterfinal to Burning River Buckets
2023–24 Did not play

References

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  1. ^ "Steel City Yellow Jackets of ABA not paid, play for love of game". TribLIVE. 6 December 2014.
  2. ^ Leturgey, Thomas (April 24, 2022). "Steel City Yellow Jackets Are ABA National Champions". Pittsburgh, PA Patch. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
  3. ^ "Facebook". Facebook. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  4. ^ Leturgey, Thomas (December 4, 2023). "Local ABA basketball landscape is a convoluted mess". New Pittsburgh Courier. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
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