Historical Timeline
Notable Events in the History of Women's Basketball
1891 |
Basketball invented by Dr. James Naismith. |
|---|---|
1892 |
Senda Berenson adapts the rules for women and introduces the |
| game at Smith College. | |
1892 |
First inter-institutional (extramural) contest between the University of |
| California and Miss Head's School | |
1893 |
Clara Gregory Baer introduces basket ball to girls at Sophie Newcomb |
| College in New Orleans. | |
1895 |
First publicly played basketball game in the South (demonstration |
| game at the Southern Athletic Club in New Orleans by Sophie Newcomb | |
| College students) | |
1895 |
Clara Gregory Baer publishes first basket ball rules for women, called |
| "Basquette." | |
1896 |
First intercollegiate game is played between Stanford University and |
| University of California at Berkeley. | |
1899 |
Formation of first Women's Basket Ball Rules Committee |
1901 |
First official publication of Basket Ball for Women by Spalding |
| Athletic Library with Senda Berenson as editor | |
1903 |
Halves shortened from 20 minutes to 15 minutes |
1905 |
Executive Committee on Basket Ball Rules (National Women's |
| Basketball Committee) is formed under auspices of the American | |
| Physical Education Association (APEA). | |
1906 |
Five to nine players on a side |
1908 |
Placing one hand on a ball held by an opponent is a foul; double |
| teaming a shooter is a foul | |
1910 |
Dribbling is outlawed. |
1913 |
Officiating first appears in guides; single dribble returns, but ball must |
| bounce knee high | |
1916 |
No coaching is allowed from the sidelines during game (except |
| halftime) No timeouts, no substitutions. | |
1918 |
Basket with open bottom instead of closed basket with pull chain |
| becomes official. | |
1918 |
Bounce pass legalized. Substitutes may be used, but they cannot re- |
| enter the game. | |
1922 |
There must be at least six players on a side, maximum of nine. |
1923 |
Formation of the Women's Division of the National Amateur Athletic |
| Federation (NAAF) | |
1925 |
Goals scored by one-hand overhand throw, two-hand underhand throw, |
| shot-put throw, and throw with back to the basket count as one point. | |
1926 |
Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) sponsors first-ever national women's |
| basketball championship, using men's rules. | |
1927 |
Players must wear numbers on the back of their jerseys. |
1928 |
Formation of first national women's officiating board: Women's National |
| Officials Rating Committee | |
1929 |
First AAU All-America team selected. |
1931 |
Techniques for officiating included in rulebook. |
1931 |
Babe Didrikson leads Golden Cyclones to AAU national title. |
1932 |
All field goals count as two points. |
1932 |
Guarding on all planes permitted |
1935 |
Tulsa Business College Stenos win the second of three consecutive |
| AAU national titles. | |
1936 |
Formation of the All American Red Heads |
1938 |
Three-court game changed to two-court game with six players per team |
| (three guards and three forwards). | |
1951 |
Hanes Hosiery wins the first of three consecutive AAU national titles. |
1953 |
Overtime period established -following one overtime, games are |
| decided by sudden death. | |
1953 |
USA wins gold in first World Championships. |
1955 |
USA women's basketball team plays in first Pan American Games |
| basketball competition and wins the gold medal. | |
1956 |
Ball can be tied with two hands held by opponent: three |
| seconds in the lane is a violation. | |
1962 |
Each team is permitted two players to roam the court; player is allowed |
| to snatch ball from opponent. | |
1962 |
Nashville Business College wins first of eight consecutive AAU |
| National Championships. | |
1965 |
Joint Committee AAU/DGWS Rules established |
1966 |
Continuous unlimited dribble becomes official rule. |
1969 |
First National Invitational Intercollegiate Basketball Tournament is held |
| at West Chester State College in Pennsylvania. | |
1971 |
Five-player, full-court game and 30-second clock become official. |
1971 |
The Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) is |
| formed, giving women an opportunity to compete in national | |
| championships. | |
1972 |
Immaculata College wins the first of three consecutive AIAW women’s |
| national collegiate basketball championships. | |
1975 |
First Kodak All-America Team |
1976 |
Team USA makes its Olympic debut. |
1977 |
Lusia Harris of Delta State University is awarded the first Broderick Cup |
| as the most outstanding athlete in the AIAW. | |
1978 |
Formation of Women's Professional Basketball League (eight teams) |
1978 |
Carol Blazejowski is named the inaugural recipient of Wade Trophy. |
1981 |
Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) is formed. |
1982 |
Rutgers defeats the University of Texas in the final AIAW |
| championship. Louisiana Tech defeats Cheyney State in first NCAA | |
| NationalChampionship. | |
1984 |
USA captures its first Olympic gold medal in Los Angeles. |
1984 |
West Virginia's Georgeann Wells registers the first dunk in women's |
| collegiate basketball. | |
1986 |
Nancy Lieberman becomes the first woman to play in a men's |
| professional basketball league when she joins the USBL's Springfield | |
| Fame. | |
1986 |
Three-point field goals introduced to collegiate basketball |
1988 |
USA wins gold medal at the Seoul Olympics. |
1991 |
The Liberty Basketball Association is launched, folds after one |
| exhibition game. | |
1992 |
USA finishes with bronze medal at Barcelona Olympics. |
1996 |
USA recaptures the gold medal at the Centennial Olympics in Atlanta. |
1996 |
American Basketball League tips off its first season. |
1997 |
Inaugural WNBA season |
1999 |
The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame opens in Knoxville, Tenneesee. |
2000 |
Houston Comets win fourth consecutive WNBA title. |
2000 |
USA captures the gold medal at the Olympics in Sydney as Teresa |
| Edwards competes in her fifth Olympics. | |
2001 |
Jackie Stiles becomes the leading scorer in NCAA Division I |
| women's basketball history with 3,133 points. | |
2002 |
Lisa Leslie of the Los Angeles Sparks becomes the first woman to dunk |
| during a professional game. | |
2003 |
The WBL celebrates the 25th Anniversary of the first professional |
| women's basketball game. | |
2004 |
The University of Connecticut defeats Tennessee 70-61 in New Orleans |
| to win its third straight championship. | |
2006 |
Epiphanny Prince, a senior at Murry Bergtraum High School in |
| Manhattan, sets a national girls' scoring record with 113 points in the | |
| Lady Blazers' 137-32 win over Brandeis in a Public School Athletic | |
| League game. | |
2008 |
The University of Tennessee women's basketball team defeats |
| Stanford to win its eighth national championship. | |
2008 |
USA wins fourth straight gold medal in the Beijing Olympics. |
2009 |
Pat Summitt becomes the first Division I coach, men's or women's, |
| to reach 1,000 wins as her University of Tennessee Volunteers defeat | |
| Georgia 73-43 on February 5, 2009 | |
2010 |
The University of Connecticut records its second consecutive |
| undefeated season and captures its seventh national | |
| championship. |
2010 |
The USA women's basketball team captured the 2010 gold |
|---|---|
| medal at the FIBA World Championship with a win over Czech | |
| Republic (89-69) | |
2010 |
The University of Connecticut sets the longest win streak |
| (men's or women's) in college basketball at 90 consecutive | |
| victories. |
