Sources and acknowledgements: This is a work of enthusiastic, though not necessarily scholarly, research. Much of the information is drawn from Joanne Lannin and Susan Cahn's books, supported by lots of online research and several people - many total strangers - who share a passion for women's basketball. Our hope is the links provided within the timeline honor all the work countless others have done to record the history of women's basketball as well as further pique the interest in the history of women's basketball.
I encourage you to link, forward or print off this timeline. My only request is that you acknowledge the source. Any errors or omissions are solely my fault. Please send corrections and suggestions for additions to me.
Enjoy!
Helen Wheelock
Below are some of the key sources I've used in my research:
Amateur Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles Sports Library has amazing resources on hand as well as online. You can view abstracts and full texts of the Journal of Sport History & NASSH Proceedings. The Journal of Sport History, published by the North American Society for Sport History since 1974, seeks to promote the study of all aspects of sport history. The NASSH Proceedings contain news items and abstracts of papers presented at the organization's annual conference.
If you're in Los Angeles, it's worth the visit. If you have questions, their staff is extraordinarily helpful, either on the phone or by email.
Association for Professional Basketball Research (APBR)
John Molina's sites which are full of wonderful facts and amazing photos.
Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
Various collections relating to Girls' and Women's Sports
North American Society for Sport History
Books:
Coming on Strong: Gender and Sexuality in Twentieth-Century Women's Sport. Susan K. Cahn. A rarity - well researched and very readable.
From Six-on-Six to Full Court Press: A Century of Iowa Girl's Basketball. Janice A. Bearn. A great history of the State that kept the flame burning.
A History of Basketball for Girls and Women: From Bloomers to Big Leagues. Joanne Lanin. A book packed with wonderful facts and pictures. A must read.
Learning to Win: Sports, Education, and Social Change in Twentieth-Century North Carolina. Pamela Grundy. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2001. Review: "This book on the development of sport and education in North Carolina is an excellent example of social and cultural history, and it should appeal to both scholars and those persons generally interested in the history of sport, particularly basketball."