Trailblazers of the game

2010 Recipient

A black and white photo of a women's basketball team, featuring women's basketball hall of fame members.

The Edmonton Grads

  • Founded in 1915 by John Percy Page
  • The origins of the team can be traced back to the McDougall Commercial Girls' High School Basketball team in Edmonton, Canada  
  • Only 38 women wore the Grad Jersey; Club membership was very exclusive 
  • Members had to financially support the team since women’s basketball was widely ignored during this time
  • Winnie Martin (Tait) was the First Captain of the Edmonton Grads (1915-1924) 
  • Played 522 games across North America and Europe, compiling a 502-20 record across 25 years of competition. 
  • The Club competed in eighteen Canadian Championships and four Olympic Games, where they received four unofficial Olympic titles. 
  • On June 5th, 1940, the Club played its last game, defeating a Chicago team 62-52.

2010 Recipient

A black and white photo of a group of women, who are all women's basketball hall of fame members, posing for a picture.

The Helms Foundation

  • The Helms Foundation was created in 1936 by Bill Schroeder and Paul Helms and was based in Los Angeles. 
  • The Helms Foundation was established to select National Championship teams and All-American teams across various college sports, including women’s basketball. 
  • The Panel met annually to vote on a National Champion and retroactively ranked basketball teams back to 1901. 
  • After Paul Helms passing in 1957, the Helms Foundation was sponsored by United Savings and Loan, formally transitioning to the Citizens Savings Athletic Foundation
  • In 1982, the Foundation officially dissolved. 
  • Thirteen Helms Foundation Members are also WBHOF Inductees: Alline Banks (Sprouse), Joan Crawford, Lyrlyne Greer, Rita Horkey, Doris Rogers, Margaret Sexton, Hazel Walker, Katherine Washington, Nera White, John Head, Claude Hutcherson, Harley Redin and Lometa Odom. 

2011 Recipient

A car filled with women's basketball hall of fame members.

All American Red Heads

  • The Red Heads were founded by Mr. and Mrs. C.M. Olson in Cassville Missouri 
  • C.M. Olson was a former basketball coach of a team named Olson’s Terrible Swedes. The team inspired Olson’s wife, Doyle, to create a professional women’s exhibition team with the women who worked at her beauty salons. 
  • In 1954, Coach Orwell Moore and his wife, Lorene “Butch” Moore, purchased the Red Heads, moving the team to Caraway, Arkansas 
  • Lorene Moore played on the team for eleven years, scoring 35,426 points during her career. 
  • In 1972, the Red Heads won 500 out of 642 games against men’s teams. 
  • Throughout the years, the Red Heads played in all fifty states in addition to Mexico, Canada, and the Philippines and were widely considered to be the greatest women’s basketball team in the world 
  • Coach Moore retired, disbanding the team in 1986
  • Played for 50 years from 1936-1986, which is the longest-running women’s professional team. 
  • The All-American Red Heads still have annual reunions today 

2013 Recipient

Wayland Baptist College is renowned for its historic basketball program, particularly the Hutcherson Flying Queens who have left an indelible mark on women's basketball. These pioneers of the sport have been

Wayland Baptist Flying Queens (1953-1958)

  • In 1948, a Wayland graduate who owned an air transportation business flew the Wayland Baptist women’s basketball team to games in Mexico. 
  • These flights inspired a full sponsorship of the team in 1950 and a rebrand as the Wayland Baptist Flying Queens
  • The only women’s team in history to win 1,300 games. 
  • The players competed on athletic scholarships, traveled on private planes, and learned from the Harlem Globetrotters, etching their place in history as an innovative and talented team. 
  • Achieved a 131-game win streak from 1953 to 1958
  • 4 consecutive AAU National Championships

2014 Recipient

A black and white photo of women's basketball hall of fame members.

1976 USA Olympic Basketball Team

  • Captured the United States’ first medal in Olympic women’s basketball history with a silver medal 
  • Since the 1976 team, the USA Women’s Basketball teams have compiled a record of 55-1, winning seven gold medals and one bronze
  • The 1976 team has produced eleven Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame Inductees. Ann Meyers Drysdale, Nancy Lieberman, Billie Moore, Pat Summitt, Mary Anne O’Conner, Lusia Harris Stewart, Gail Marquis, Nancy Dunkle, Sue Gunter, Patricia Roberts, Sue Rojcewicz, Charlotte Lewis, Juliene Simpson, Cindy Brogdon, Jeanne Rowlands, Gail Weldon

2015 Recipient

A group of women, women's basketball hall of fame members, in blue basketball uniforms posing for a photo.

Immaculata Mighty Macs(1972-1974)

  • Immaculata is considered the birthplace of modern college women’s basketball
  • The 1972-1974 Mighty Macs team captured the first three Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) championships. 
  • First women’s team, along with the University of Maryland, to appear on national television
  • First women’s team, along with Queen’s College, to play at Madison Square Garden
  • The 1972-1974 teams have produced three Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame Inductees. Below are the individuals associated with the three teams: Janet Ruch Boltz, Denise Conway Crawford, Janet Young Eline, Theresa Shank Grentz, Barbara Deuble Kelly, Tina Krah, Patricia Mulhern Loughran, Judy Marra Martelli, Sue Forsyth O’ Grady, Rene Muth Portland, Betty Ann Hoffman Quinn, Cathy Rush, Mary Scharff, Marianne Crawford Stanley, Maureen Stuhlman, and Marie Liguori Williams.

2016 Recipient

A group of women's basketball hall of fame members posing for a photo.

1996 USA Olympic Basketball Team

  • Won an Olympic gold medal in Atlanta 
  • 52-0 record during its pre-Olympic competition to finish with an overall 60-0 record 
  • Drew in a record 202,556 fans during the Olympics and around 25,320 fans per game. 
  • The team includes twelve WBHOF Inductees. Jennifer Azzi, Ruthie Bolton, Teresa Edwards, Venus Lacey, Lisa Leslie, Rebecca Lobo, Katrina McClain, Nikki McCray, Carla McGhee, Dawn Staley, Katy Steding, Sheryl Swoopes, Tara VanDerveer, Veal Barry, Nancy Darsch, Marian Washington, Bruce Moseley and Gina Konin Larence  

2017 Recipient

A black and white photo of hall of fame women's basketball team.

Delta State Women's Basketball Teams (1975-1977)

  • The 1975, 1976, and 1977 Delta State teams captured three consecutive AIAW championships 
  • After a 40-year layoff of the women’s basketball program, Delta State went 16-2 in their inaugural reinstated season, then 28-0 in their second season. 
  • During their three championship seasons, Delta State compiled a 93-4 record, including a then-record 51 consecutive wins 
  • The 1975-1977 teams have produced three WBHOF inductees, Margaret Wade, Lusia Harris Stewart and Debbie Brock. 

2018 Recipient

Wbl pro basketball league logo featuring women's basketball hall of fame members.

Women's Professional Basketball League (WBL)

  • First professional women’s basketball league in the United States. 
  • Lasted three seasons (1978-1981) 
  • The league was created by sports promoter Bill Byrne, featuring eight teams during its inaugural season 
  • The original eight teams were the Chicago Hustle, Milwaukee Does, Iowa Cornets, Minnesota Fillies, Dayton Rockettes, Houston Angels, New Jersey Gems, and New York Stars
  • The first game was played on December 9th, 1978, between the Chicago Hustle and the Milwaukee Does at the Milwaukee Arena in front of 7,824 fans
  • The Houston Angels were the league champions during the inaugural season in 1979, while the New York Stars and the Nebraska Wranglers won the next two league championships 
  • Rita Easterling won MVP honors during the first season (1978-1979), Molly Bolin and Ann Meyers were co-MVPs the second year, and Rosie Walker won MVP honors during the final season 
  • Many notable WBHOF Inductees were associated with the WBL, including Carol Blazejowski, Cindy Brogdon, Nancy Dunkle, Peggie Gillom-Granderson, Lusia Harris Stewart, Tara Heiss, Nancy Lieberman, Muffet McGraw, Ann Meyers Drysdale, Pearl Moore, Inge Nissen, Patricia Roberts, Uljana Semjonova, Rosie Walker, and Holly Warlick

2019 Recipient

A black and white logo featuring women's basketball hall of fame members printed on a piece of paper.

Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW)

  • Founded in 1971 to govern collegiate women’s athletics in the United States 
  • AIAW Membership began with 280 schools and, at its peak, had grown to almost 1,000 schools. Many notable WBHOF Inductees were associated with the AIAW

 

2021 Recipient

Description: A women's basketball team posing in front of a mountain.

1980 USA Olympic Basketball Team

  • Did not compete in the Moscow Olympics because of the U.S. protests about the Games being held in Russia 
  • Competed in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament, where the team went 6-1 and won the tournament. 
  • The average victory margin was 17.7 points per game
  • The 1980 Team has ten WBHOF Inductees, including all the coaches being members of the Hall of Fame: Carol Blazejowski, Denise Curry, Anne Donovan, Tara Heiss, Kris Kirchner, Debra Miller, Cindy Noble, Layaunya Pollard, Jill Rankin, Rosie Walker, Holly Warlick, Lynette Woodard, Sue Gunter, Pat Head Summitt and Lea Plarski 

 

ready to walk through history?

Come experience the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, and let’s bring the story of women’s basketball to life!

BUY TICKETS NOW
Scroll to Top