Women have been playing basketball almost as long as men have, though professional women's basketball is a more recent success. Learn here about some of the women who've made history in the sport of basketball. Most of these are players -- some of whom have gone on to coaching or broadcasting or other fields. Some are women who played professionally when there were no women's professional leagues available. I've limited this particular list to American women in the sport.
Valerie Ackerman
Getty Images / Alex Wong
(November 7, 1959 - )
Noted for: First president of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
High school basketball: Hopewell Valley Central High School in New Jersey (graduated 1977)
Also played field hockey and graduated first in class
College basketball: University of Virginia (graduated 1981)
Law degree, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
International professional basketball: France
Management:
- Staff attorney for NBA
- Various offices with NBA including vice president of business affairs
- President of the Women's National Basketball Association (1996-2006)
- Board of Governors of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
- Board of Directors of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
- Various other positions
Other career:
- Key in creation of USA Basketball Women's Senior National Team
- 2005-2008: first woman to serve as president of USA Basketball
- Adjunct professor, Columbia University
Hall of Fame:
- Board of Governors of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
- Board of Directors of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
- Inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011
Senda Berenson
Photographer likely John McCarthy. Courtesy Library of Congress.
Noted for: Organized the first women's basketball team -- at Smith College, 1893. Men were not admitted as spectators.
Also known as: Senda Berenson Abbott, Mother of Women's Basketball
Born in Russia
Coaching: Physical education teacher at (all-women's) Smith College
Contributions to basketball history:
- Organized first women's basketball team, adapting rules invented by Dr. James Naismith
- Stressed basketball as exercise, socialization, not competition
- First women's basketball game played: March 21, 1893
- 1901 - 1907: wrote first Basketball Guide for Women
- Chaired U.S. Women's Basketball Committee
Hall of Fame:
- Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1985: one of three women inducted that year, the first women so honored
- Inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999 (first class of inductees)
Cynthia Cooper
Todd Warshaw / Getty Images
(April 14, 1963 - )
5 feet 10 inches / guard
Noted for:
Born in Chicago, raised in California
High school basketball: Locke High School, California
College basketball: University of Southern California (USC - Women of Troy), 1982 - 1986
USA team world competition:
- US Olympic Women's Basketball: 1988, 1992, gold medals
- USA Women's Pan American Team: 1987, gold medal
International professional basketball: Spain, Italy
Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA): Houston Comets, 1997 - 2000 and 2003
Coaching:
- Phoenix Mercury (WNBA) 2001 - 2002
- head coach, women's basketball team, Prairie View A&M University, 2006 (2008: NCAA announced penalties for Prairie View based on "major violations" of NCAA rules)
- head coach, UNC Wilmington, women's basketball (Seahawks), 2010
Hall of Fame:
- Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010 (first WNBA player)
- Inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009
Married: Brian Dyke, 2001. Twin children born in 2002.
Autobiography: She Got Game published 2000.
Babe Didrikson Zaharias
Getty Images / Hulton Archive
Noted for: Babe Didrikson Zaharias is best known for track and field and for golf, but she started her sports career in high school basketball.
Read more:
Anne Donovan
Alvin Chung / Getty Images
6 feet 8 inch
Born in New Jersey
High school basketball: Paramus Catholic High School, New Jersey
College basketball: Old Dominion University
USA team world competition:
- US Olympic Women's Basketball: 1984, 1988: gold medals. 1980 team: did not compete due to US boycott; assistant coach at 2004 Olympics and head coach at 2008 Olympics (gold medal)
- USA Women's Pan American Team: 1983, 1987: gold medals
- Goodwill Games: 1986, gold medal
- World Championship: 1986, gold medal
International professional basketball: Japan and Italy
Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA):
Coaching: Old Dominion University; East Carolina University; Philadelphia Rage (American Basketball League); Indiana Fever (Women's National Basketball League / WNBA); Charlotte Sting (WNBA); Seattle Storm; New YOrk Liberty; Steon Hall University
Hall of Fame:
- Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995
- Inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999
Teresa Edwards
Getty Images / Andy Lyons
5 feet 11 inches / guard
Noted for: youngest and oldest gold medalist in women's basketball at Olympics
Born in Georgia
High school basketball: Cairo High School; Georgia High School Player of the Year, 1982
College basketball: University of Georgia
USA team world competition:
- US Olympic Women's Basketball: 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000 (four gold medals, one bronze); first woman to play in Olympics basketball five different years
- USA Women's Pan American Team: 1987: gold medal; 1991: bronze medal
International professional basketball: Italy, Japan, spain and France
American Basketball League: player and head coach
Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA): Minnesota Lynx 2003 - 2004
Coaching: 2011: coach, Tulsa Shock (WNBA)
Sportscasting: NBC sports coverage for 2008 Olympics
Hall of Fame:
- Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011
- Inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010
Chamique Holdsclaw
Getty Images / Otto Greule
6 feet 2 inches / forward
Born in New York
High school basketball: Christ the King Regional High School, Queens, New York
College basketball: University of Tennessee (Lady Vols), 3 consecutive NCAA Women's Basketball Championships, 4 time Kodak All-American
USA team world competition:
- US Olympic Women's Basketball: 2000 Olympics (gold medal)
- USA Women's Pan American Team:
International professional basketball: Spain, Poland
Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA): Washington Mystics, Los Angeles Sparks; Atlanta Dream; San Antonio Silver Stars
Janice Lawrence Braxton
Getty Images
June 7, 1962 -
6 feet 3 inches / center
Also known as: Janice Lawrence
College basketball: Louisana Tech (Lady Techsters) - national champions 1981 and 1982
USA team world competition:
- US Olympic Women's Basketball: 1984, gold medal
- USA Women's Pan American Team: 1983, gold medal
Women's American Basketball Association (WABA): New York
International professional basketball:
Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA): Cleveland Rockers, 1997 - 1999
Coaching: Cleveland Rockers, 2003 -
Hall of Fame:
- Inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006
Married: Steve Braxton, 1985
Read more:
Lisa Leslie
Getty Images / Tony Duffy
(July 7, 1972 -)
6 feet 5 inches / center
Born in California
Also known as: Lisa Leslie-Lockwood
Noted for: WNBA MVP three times; Olympic gold medals four times; seven WNBA All-Star teams; two WNBA championships
High school basketball: Morningside High School, California
College basketball: University of Southern California
USA team world competition:
- World University Games: 1991, gold medal
- Jones Cup: 1992, gold medal
- US Olympic Women's Basketball: 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008: four gold medals
- USA Women's Pan American Team:
International professional basketball:
Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA): Los Angeles Sparks, 1997-2009
Sportswoman of the Year: 2001, Women's Sports Foundation
Other career: Lisa Leslie has also worked as a model and actress
Married: Michael Lockwood, 2006; two children (born 2007, 2010)
Nancy Lieberman
Tim DeFrisco / Getty Images
(July 1, 1958 - )
Noted for: first woman head coach in a U.S. men's professional league; only woman to play in a men's professional league; youngest and oldest women's basketball player in the Olympics
Born in Brooklyn, New York
Also known as: Nancy Lieberman-Cline, "First Lady of Hoops," "Lady Magic," "Michael Jordan of women's basketball"
High school basketball: Far Rockaway High School, Queens, New York
College basketball: Old Dominion University, Virginia
USA team world competition:
- US Olympic Women's Basketball: 1976, silver medal; qualified for 1980 team, which did not participate when US boycotted the Olympics
- USA Women's Pan American Team: 1975, gold medal; 1979, silver medal
Professional basketball: played with the Dallas Diamonds, Women's Pro Basketball League (WBL); United States Basketball League (USBL); Washington Generals (played Harlem Globetrotters)
Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA): Phoenix Mercury, 1997, oldest player in the WNBA; played for one game in 2008 for Detroit Shock
Coaching: began 1998 as Head Coach and General Manager of Detroit Shock, WNBA; in 2008, became first woman to coach a professional men's basketball team, for the Texas Legends, NBA Development League
Hall of Fame:
- Inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1996
- Inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999
Married: Tim Cline, 1988, Washington Generals teammate; divorced 2001
