- five player full court game adopted for women's basketball
- Title IX enacted, requiring federally-funded schools to fund women's sports equitably, including teams, scholarships, recruitment, and media coverage
- Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) held first national intercollegiate championship in basketball; Immaculata defeated West Chester
- AAU established national basketball tournaments for girls younger than college age
- college scholarships offered to female athletes for the first time
- Amateur Basketball Association of the United States (ABAUSA) established, replacing AAU
- US Olympic Committee recognized the ABAUSA
- Billie Jean King founded the Women's Sports Foundation, to promote sports and physical activity among girls
- women's basketball became an Olympic sport; the Soviet team won the gold, USA won the silver
- Wade Trophy established to honor a top collegiate player; first awarded to Carol Blazejowski
- Bill Byrne founded the 8-team Women's Basketball League (WBL)
- WBL expanded to 14 teams
- Ladies Professional Basketball Association founded with six teams; played for less than a month before failing
- first USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year Award went to Carol Blazejowski
- Olympics held but many nations boycotted, led by the USA
- WBL played its last season
- Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) begins
- NCAA announced women's basketball tournaments; AIAW filed an antitrust suit in opposition
- final AIAW tournament held; AIAW dropped the lawsuit against the NCAA and disbanded
- first NCAA women's basketball Final Four championship held
- Olympics women's basketball event won by USA team, with the USSR and some other nations boycotting
- Women's American Basketball Association (WABA) formed, with six teams; it was, like most of the women's professional basketball leagues, short-lived
- Lynette Woodard began playing with the Harlem Globetrotters, the first woman to play with that team
- Senda Berenson Abbott, L. Margaret Wade, and Bertha F. Teague were inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, the first women to be so honored
- National Women's Basketball Association (NWBA) founded; folded the same season
- Naismith Hall of Fame initiated Female High School Player of the Year award
- Olympics women's basketball event won by USA team
- Pat Summit was the first woman to be awarded the John Bunn Award by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
- WBL disbanded
- Liberty Basketball Association (LBA) founded, and lasted one game, broadcast on ESPN
- Howard University women's basketball coach became the first woman to win monetary damages under Title IX, for discrimination
- Nera White, who played with the Nashville Business College team, and Lusia (Lucy) Harris (Harris-Stewart) were inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
- Women's Basketball Association (WBA) founded
- Ann Meyers and Ulyana Semjonova inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
- Carol Blazejowski inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
- Women's Basketball Association (WBA) failed
- American Basketball League (ABL) founded with ten teams
- players Anne Donovan and Cheryl Miller inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
- NBA established the WNBA with eight teams; Sheryl Swoopes was the first player signed by the WNBA
- Nancy Lieberman inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
- first WNBA game played
- WNBA added two more teams
- players Joan Crawford and Denise Curry inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
- ABL failed
- WNBA expanded by two teams
- Women's Basketball Hall of Fame opened with 25 inductees
- WNBA expanded by four teams for the 2000 season
- Olympics held in Sydney, Australia; USA team won gold medal; Teresa Edwards became the first basketball player to pay on five consecutive Olympic teams and win five Olympic medals
- National Women's Basketball Professional League (NWBL) founded
- Pat Head Summitt (coach) inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
- Sandra Kay Yow (coach) inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
- Ashley McElhiney became the first woman head coach for a men's professional basketball team (ABA, Nashville Rhythm); she resigned in 2005 with a 21-10 record
- Lynette Woodard inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
- Hortencia Marcari and Sue Gunter (LSU coach) inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
- WNBA celebrated its 10th year by announcing an All-Decade Team, selected by fans, media, and current players and coaches.
- Cathy Rush inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
- signing a 7-day WNBA contract, Nancy Lieberman returned to play in a single game
