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Basketball invented by Dr. James Naismith

Senda Berenson adapts the rules for women and introduces the game at smith college.

Clara Gregory Baer introduces basketball to girls at Sophie Newcomb College in New Orleans

First intercollegiate game is played between Stanford University and University of California at Berkeley

Formation of Women's Basketball Rules Committee. Senda Berenson's rules first published by Spalding

First "Official" publication of Basket Ball for Women by Spalding Athletic Library with Senda Berenson as editor

Placing one hand on a ball held by an opponent is a foul; double teaming a shooter is a foul

Dribbling is outlawed

Officiating first appears in guides; single dribble returns, but ball must bounce knee high

No coaching is allowed from the sidelines during game (except halftime) No timeouts, no substitutions

Basket with open bottom instead of closed basket with pull chain becomes official

There must be at least six players on a side, maximum of nine

Formation of the Women's Division of the National Amateur Athletic Federation (NAAF)

Goals scored by one-hand overhand throw, two-hand underhand throw, shot-put throw, and throw with back to basket count as one point

Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) sponsors first-ever national women's basketball championship, using men's rules

Players must wear numbers on the back of their jerseys

Formation of first national women's officiating board: Women's National Officials Rating Committee

First AAU All-American team selected

All field goals count as two points

Tulsa Business College Stenos win the second of three consecutive AAU national titles

Formation of the All American Red Heads

Three-court game changed to two-court game with six players per team (three guards and three forwards)

Hanes Hosiery wins the first of three consecutive AAU national titles

Overtime period established - following one overtime, games are decided by sudden death

USA wins gold in first World Championships

Ball can be tied with two hands held by opponent: three seconds in the lane is a violation

The Wayland Baptist Flying Queens achieved a 131-game winning streak and captured 4 AAU National Titles

Nashville Business College wins first of eight consecutive AAU National Titles

Joint Committee AAU/DGWA Rules established

Continuous unlimited dribble becomes official rule

First National Invitational Intercollegiate Basketball Tournament is held at West Chester State College in Pennsylvania

Five player, full-court game and 30 second shot clock become official

The Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) is formed, giving women an opportunity to compete in national championships

Immaculata College wins first of three consecutive AIAW women's national collegiate basketball championships

First Kodak All-American Team

The first women's Olympic basketball tournament was held

Lusia Harris of Delta State University is awarded the first Broderick Cup as the most outstanding athlete in the AIAW

Formation of Women's Professional Basketball League (WBL)

Carol Blazejowski is named the inaugural recipient of the Wade Trophy

Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) is formed

Rutgers defeats the University of Texas in the final AIAW championship. Louisiana Tech defeats Cheyney State in the first NCAA national championships

USA captures its first Olympic gold medal in Los Angeles

West Virginia's Georgeann Wells registers the first dunk in women's collegiate basketball

Three-point field goals introduced to collegiate basketball

USA wins gold medal at the Seoul Olympics

Unified Team from Russia claims the gold medal at Barcelona Olympics

USA captures the gold medal at the Centennial Olympics in Atlanta

American Basketball League (ABL) was formed and lasted two full seasons before folding during the third season

Inaugural WNBA season

The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame opens in Knoxville, TN

Houston Comets win fourth consecutive WNBA titles

The University of Connecticut defeats Tennessee 70-61 in New Orleans to win its third straight national championship

Epiphanny Prince sets a national girls' scoring record with 113 points in a single game

USA wins fourth straight gold medal in the Beijing Olympics

Pat Summitt becomes the first Division I coach, men's or women's to reach 1,000 wins

The University of Connecticut sets the longest win streak (men's or women's) in college basketball at 90 consecutive victories

Baylor University records an undefeated season, winning the most games ever in a season 40

Geno Auriemma passes John Wooden with 11 National Championship most by any college coach men's or women's

Kelsey Plum makes NCAA women's basketball history by dropping 57 points to become the all-time leading scorer in NCAA Women's Basketball history

Rebekkah Brunson becomes WNBA rebounding leader

Rutgers's C. Vivian Stringer (Class of 2001) joins the 1,000 win-club. She becomes the sixth Division I coach to reach the milestone

NCAA DI, DII, DIII post-season tournaments cancelled due to COVID-19

Tara VanDerveer (Class of 2002) surpasses Pat Summitt (Class of 1999) for most victories in Division I women's basketball with 1,099