Historical Timeline
|
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 |
|
1934
|
Tulsa Business College wins the first 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 around ball 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. | |
|
1987
|
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. |
