"Brief introduction to the beginnings and early history of the WNBA"--

Reaching back over a century of struggle, liberation, and gutsy play, Shattering the Glass is a sweeping chronicle of women's basketball in the United States. Offering vivid portraits of forgotten heroes and contemporary stars, Pamela Grundy and Susan Shackelford provide a broad perspective on the history of the sport, exploring its close relationship to concepts of womanhood, race, and sexuality, and to efforts to expand women's rights. Extensively illustrated and drawing on original interviews with players, coaches, administrators, and broadcasters, Shattering the Glass presents a moving, gritty view of the game on and off the court. It is both an insightful history and an empowering story of the generations of women who have shaped women's basketball.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The NBA according to The Sports Guy—now updated with fresh takes on LeBron, the Celtics, and more! Foreword by Malcom Gladwell • “The work of a true fan . . . it might just represent the next phase of sports commentary.”—The Atlantic Bill Simmons, the wildly opinionated and thoroughly entertaining basketball addict known to millions as ESPN’s The Sports Guy, has written the definitive book on the past, present, and future of the NBA. From the age-old question of who actually won the rivalry between Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain to the one about which team was truly the best of all time, Simmons opens—and then closes, once and for all—every major pro basketball debate. Then he takes it further by completely reevaluating not only how NBA Hall of Fame inductees should be chosen but how the institution must be reshaped from the ground up, the result being the Pyramid: Simmons’s one-of-a-kind five-level shrine to the ninety-six greatest players in the history of pro basketball. And ultimately he takes fans to the heart of it all, as he uses a conversation with one NBA great to uncover that coveted thing: The Secret of Basketball. Comprehensive, authoritative, controversial, hilarious, and impossible to put down (even for Celtic-haters), The Book of Basketball offers every hardwood fan a courtside seat beside the game’s finest, funniest, and fiercest chronicler.

This title tells the story of the Women's National Basketball Association, from its founding in the 1990s to its status today as a world-class showcase for basketball talent. Readers will learn about the league's stars, teams, and coaches, as well as player efforts to earn higher pay. Features include infographics, a glossary, references, websites, source notes, and an index. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. Essential Library is an imprint of Abdo Publishing, a division of ABDO.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Inspired by a major ESPN film series, this is an extraordinary oral history of basketball—its eye-opening untold history, its profound deeper meaning, its transformative influence on the world—as told through an unprecedented series of candid conversations with the game’s ultimate icons. This is the greatest love story never told. It has passion and heartbreak, triumph and betrayal. It is deeply intimate yet crosses oceans, upends lives and changes nations. This is the true story of basketball. It is the story of a Canadian invention that took over America, and the world. Of a supposed “white man’s sport” that became a way for people of color, women, and immigrants to claim a new place in society. Of a game that demands everything of those who love it, yet gives so much back in return. To tell this story, acclaimed journalists Jackie MacMullan, Rafe Bartholomew and Dan Klores embarked on a groundbreaking mission to interview a staggering lineup of basketball trailblazers. For the first time hundreds of legends, from Kobe, Lebron and Steph Curry to Magic Johnson, Dr. J and Jerry West, spoke movingly about their greatest passion. Former NBA commissioner David Stern and iconic coaches like Phil Jackson and Coach K opened up like never before. Those who shattered glass ceilings, from Bill Russell and Yao Ming to Cheryl Miller and Lisa Leslie, explained what it really took to lay claim to their place in the game. At once a definitive oral history and something far more revelatory and life affirming, Basketball: A Love Story is the defining untold oral history of how basketball came to be, and what it means to those who love it.

Witness the birth of women's basketball in this illustrated introduction from renowned nonfiction author Sue Macy. Raised on a cattle ranch, Agnes Morley was sent to Stanford University to learn to be a lady. But she soon exchanged her breeches and spurs for bloomers and a basketball—and in April 1896, she made history. In a heart-pounding game against the University of California at Berkeley, Agnes led her team to victory in the first-ever inter-collegiate women's basketball game, earning national attention and putting women's basketball on the map. This fast-paced story of perseverance and success digs deep into the history of one of America's most popular sports, and how it came to be so big. Realistic illustrations by Matt Collins put readers in the middle of the action, and you'll want cheer along with the crowd. With comprehensive backmatter including a timeline, author's note, select bibliography, and recommended places to visit for more information, Basketball Belles is a perfect introduction to an intriguing moment in sports and women's history. A Junior Library Guild Selection Booklist Top 10 Sports Books for Youth Booklist Editors' Choice, Books for Youth, Nonfiction, Middler Readers NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, History/Life & Culture in the Americas

"Well, he said he started, became a fan in 2000. Hes just been a fan of the game ever since." -Carolyn Peck, ESPN Commentator "I think its great to have fans that are that passionate, who care about (the league) that much to invest their time, their energy, their summer vacation to follow the WNBA." -Donna Orender, WNBA President (2005-2010) "Oh, the journey dude? Man vs. Wild, WNBA style!" -Diana Taurasi, Phoenix Mercury My name is Alex Chambers, and I love women's basketball. Yes, it really is that simple. Now come to think of it, loving the game is that simple; being a fan, well, that's another story. The difficulty in being a fan of women's basketball might lie within the struggle to find a televised game, or media coverage you don't have to dig for. It could mean sifting past paragraphs and even pages of negative comments on message boards or blogs to get to a recap of a recent game. Even still, it could be that when I wear my home team's jersey, people ask me, "Is that a professional sports team?" It might also have to do with the fact that (drum roll please) I'm a guy. In 2009, I traveled to all thirteen WNBA arenas. Along the way, I was fortunate enough to meet some of the athletes in the WNBA as well as many passionate fans. This is the story of my twenty-eight day, twelve thousand mile journey, filled with adventure and amazing experiences. Interviews include: Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, Lauren Jackson, Becky Hammon, Janel McCarville, Lindsay Whalen, Tamika Catchings, Renee Montgomery, Alana Beard, Erin Phillips, Candice Wiggins, and many others!

The Vision is the true story about how JESUS allowed me to play a part in the success of women's professional basketball in the United States, to give American women the opportunity to stay in their home country and play professional basketball like their male counterparts have for decades. Since Title lX, there hadn't been a greater moment for women's basketball until the arrival of the Women's Basketball Association. And the rest is history!Lightning Mitchell's book is very compelling and relays the truth about the history of the start of the WBA ... instrumental ... inspirational ... amazing. This book should be read by all. -Coach Marcus D. Harvey... I thought that the Women's Basketball Association would be something that Kansas City would be proud of for years and years to come. Today here's a story told about what took place, and it was here in Kansas City.-Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-Missouri), Former mayor of Kansas City, Missouri.

One dribble, two dribbles, three dribbles, four. One step, two steps, in the basket, score! When Kayla is first introduced to the game of basketball, she quickly learns that there is more to the sport than learning how to play. Kayla discovers that basketball is magical, and gives many gifts along the way! Written in rhyme, this book is inspired by the true story of a young Canadian girl who used an orange basketball to live out her dreams. 'The Magic of Basketball!' encourages children to recognize all of the gifts and opportunities that sports can provide. It teaches young girls and boys that the opportunities are endless when you work hard and follow your dreams.

Through 100 evocative, often stunning photographs, as well as the stories that accompany them, Sports Illustrated visits the great arc of basketball history Featuring historical coverage and vivid photography covering the men's, women's, and college games, basketball's rich and remarkable history is here. Unforgettable events live in a continuum with stirring photos of the game's most beloved and largest personalities such as Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Larry Bird, Stephen Curry, Diana Taurasi, Lisa Leslie. Sue Bird, and many more. Sports Illustrated's unmatched storytelling is in high form in a book that renders exquisite anecdotes, and explores basketball's heritage and increasingly global character, all in unforgettable style.