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The new kids in town play like they know they'll have to try harder. They're the San Francisco Pioneers, a first year team in the young women's professional basketball league. Pioneers in more than nickname only, these young women face awesome odds, largely financial, with a recession predicted,

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young leagues might have difficulty surviving. And for all their hustle, the Pioneers are likely to be outmatched in most of their games. 6[ft]5[inch] centers and forwards are not unusual in this league. The Pioneers' tallest players are 6'1, but San Francisco does have several outstanding athletes like guards

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Cardie "Magic" Hicks and UCLA's career scoring leader Anita Ortega. Part of the pleasure former Saint Mary's coach Frank LaPorte feels in his first year instructing a women's team. Cardie, you know, I, I think she's possibly the, the, uh, only woman that I that I could see,

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and that also Ann Meyers that comes close to having, uh, men's skills. She is just unbelievable and, uh, Anita Ortega, she's just, uh, Mrs. Miss Floor burns, believe me, she's on that floor diving hustling. She just wants to play basketball. It's an unbelievable attitude and it

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carries over to the rest of the uh the uh players. I'm very impressed with the uh the overall hustle. It's unbelievable, you know. I, I thought that at the beginning, you know that women do really play hard basketball, but now I know they do. Have a,

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have a great score if not set it up. The Pioneers open their season November 15th in Washington against the Metros, and they open at home Tuesday, November 27th against the New York Stars. They'll play in the Civic Auditorium.