Dakota Wizards
| Dakota Wizards | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| League | NBA Development 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) | Golden State Warriors |
| Championships | (4) 2 CBA 1 IBA 1 D-League |
| Division / Conference titles | (7) 3 CBA 2 IBA 2 D-League |
The Dakota Wizards were an American professional basketball team based in Bismarck, North Dakota. They played in the NBA Development League from 2006 until 2012. After the 2011–12 season, the team relocated to Santa Cruz, California, and now plays as the Santa Cruz Warriors. Prior to entering the D-League in 2006, the Wizards spent 11 years playing in minor American leagues such as the International Basketball Association and the Continental Basketball Association.
The Wizards began play in 1995 in the International Basketball Association (IBA), and in 2001, with Dave Joerger at the helm, they won the IBA championship in the league's final year of operation.
Following the 2000–01 season, the IBA merged with several teams from the Continental Basketball Association (CBA), and in their first year in the new CBA, Joerger and the Wizards won the league title, defeating the Rockford Lightning. After making it to the semifinals in the 2002–03 season, the Wizards again won the league title in 2004 over the Idaho Stampede, giving Joerger his third title as the Wizards' head coach.
Following the 2003–04 season, coach Joerger left the Wizards for a coaching opportunity with the Sioux Falls Skyforce. In his place, the Wizards appointed former assistant coach Casey Owens as head coach. The Wizards lost their opening two games against the Skyforce, but then cruised to a 12-game winning streak before losing to Sioux Falls on New Year's Eve, 2004. The Wizards also lost two potential all-stars, Billy Keys and Dickey Simpkins, who left the team mid-season to play overseas. The Wizards went on to clinch home court advantage throughout the 2005 playoffs with a league-best 32–16 record. Dakota split their first four playoff games with their first-round opponents, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, until Sioux Falls won Game 5 with a 102–97 victory, ending the Wizards' playoff run.
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