College Women's Basketball
In 1892, the year after Dr. James Naismith invented what we know to be basketball, the first game of women's basketball was played. Women's college basketball began in 1893 with teams starting at Iowa State College, Carleton, Mount Holyoke, and Tulane.
In 1896, Stanford played the University of California at Berkeley in the first women's intercollegiate game, with Stanford winning, 2-1. Rather than the eventual 5-on-5 format familiar to current fans, that game was played 9-on-9. The women's game has come a long way since then.
Title IX and the 1970s
The 1970s were a critical period of growth for women's college basketball. The sport had languished in the shadows of prominent men's programs because the men tended to get more funding. In the 1970s, the International Olympic Committee added women's basketball as a medal sport, and it debuted to immense popularity at the 1976 Olympic Games.
The landscape changed for college women's sports, including basketball, when Congress passed Title IX in 1972. Title IX was designed to make sure that women's sports received just as much funding as men's sports. If a school offers a sport for men, it must also offer one for women. It also evened out scholarships for men's and women's teams, which was important for women's basketball programs. According to NCAA figures, participation in women's sports increased by roughly 400 percent in the 30-plus years since Title IX was enacted.
FUN FACTS
In 2000, University of Tennessee standout Michelle Snow became the third-ever woman to dunk in a college game. In 2009, Pat Summitt picked up her 1,000th career win as a college women's coach, becoming the coach with the most wins in all of basketball — college and professional.
Women's NCAA Basketball Today
The NCAA began its women's NCAA basketball tournament in 1982, and Louisiana Tech beat Cheyney State in the final game. There were 32 teams in the field the first four years, 40 teams from 1986 to 1988, and 48 teams from 1989 to 1993. In 1994, it expanded to 64 teams, just like the men's tournament. And like the men's tournament, those teams are chosen through a mixture of conference champions and teams that receive invitations.
FUN FACTS
While the NBA has 12-minute quarters, the WNBA has 10-minute quarters. The women's basketball is 28.5 inches around — an inch smaller in diameter than the basketball used by the men. After starting with a 30-second shot clock, the WNBA switched to a 24-second shot clock, which is the same as the NBA.
Tennessee, led by Hall of Fame coach Pat Summitt, and the University of Connecticut became powerhouses in the sport. Tennessee won three titles in a row from 1996–98. Connecticut won four of five NCAA Championships from 2000–2004. Tennessee won back-to-back titles in 2007 and 2008, and Connecticut claimed the 2009 NCAA championship.
The women's NCAA tournament still has fewer viewers than men, but it has drawn impressive attendance and has TV contracts that support it financially and promote the sport in millions of homes each year. The creation of the WNBA also boosted the college women's game.
