Promotion to Division One and the problem of competing with the strongest Division One sides led to the recruiting of Eileen Dunn, a powerful six foot American player who helped the team become the first promoted team not to be relegated the following season, when they finished in fifth (out of eight) position. She was ultimately followed by another American, Maggie Joseph, after three seasons.
The team was known variously over the first seasons as SCANDINAVIAN HOMES SOLENT, SPERRINGS SOLENT SUNS and SOLENT SUNS.
Solent women played their first ever European Cup tie at Fleming Park against a Spanish side Vacciones Pantax Madrid. They lost the match 50 - 86 (Dunn 17, Day 12) and they were hampered by an injury to Maggie Joseph. They also played a winning game in the Federation Cup in the same season against lrish team Cork (83 - 78). A nine day tour of the USA was undertaken prior to the start of the 1980/81 season.
The club played in the National League from the 1977/78 season until the 1984/85 season. Ten years later it was to reform as the SOLENT PACERS. Many of the team still have strong basketball connections in the area and some are still with the Solent Stars club within its Youth programme.
Some of the former players are listed here:
| Beverley Smith | Paula McKay | Maggie Joseph |
| Volga Gharibian | Helen Sherin | Linda Day |
| Annette Hansen | Cheryl Heron | Karen Churchill |
| Jean Dorward | Jane Sykes | Teresa Bleach |
| Gill Legg | Janice Kitchen | Grace Jacca |
| Donna Seily | Tina Murray | Sally Clarkson |
| Jackie Cherry | Eileen Dunn | . |
The coach for the squad for a number of seasons was Jimmie Guymon, as well as by Eileen Dunn in her three year spell with the club. Early playing records are shown in the table:
| Season | Played | Won | Lost | For | Against | Diff. | Points | Position |
| 1977/78 | 10 | 9 | 1 | 641 | 449 | +192 | 18 | 1/6 |
| 1978/79 | 14 | 5 | 9 | 756 | 924 | -168 | 10 | 5/8 |
| 1979/80 | 14 | 5 | 9 | 945 | 1069 | -124 | 10 | 6/8 |
| 1980/81 | 14 | 8 | 6 | 934 | 890 | +44 | 16 | 5/8 |
| 1981/82 | 16 | 12 | 4 | 1211 | 971 | +240 | 24 | 3/9 |
| 1982/83 | 18 | 6 | 12 | 1191 | 1390 | -199 | 12 | 7/10 |
| 1983/84 | 18 | 4 | 14 | 1032 | 1369 | -337 | 8 | 8/10 |
| 1984/85 | 22 | 1 | 21 | 991 | 1856 | -865 | 2 | 12/12 |
| 1995/96 | 18 | 12 | 6 | 1041 | 987 | +54 | 24 | 4/10 |
| 1996/97 | 16 | 5 | 11 | 935 | 1021 | -86 | 10 | 7/9 |
| 1997/98 | 22 | 5 | 17 | 1104 | 1307 | -203 | 10 | 11/12 |
| 1998/99 | 14 | 1 | 13 | 704 | 903 | -199 | 2 | 8/8 |
For a second time, Solent Pacers (under coach Jimmie Guymon) re-entered the National League (in Division 2) in 1995-96 season, finishing fourth with a 12 - 6 win/loss record. After two seasons they reverted to the name Solent Suns and finally withdrew at the end of the 1998-99 season. In 2003 Solent Stars re-entered the league, for a third time, in the National League (Division 2 South) under coach Michael Ball. They won the division that season to qualify for the First Division in 2004.
The team was a blend of local players, who had come through the excellent development programme, and those recruited from a wider area, and they proved an immediate success, with an unbeaten campaign that secured them the Division 2 South title, the Women's Trophy, and the Division 2 Championship.
This was followed by an excellent debut season in Division 1 (following the Regional Qualifying Leagues, to reorganise the divisions), in which they finished fourth.
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