Women's Basketball

Early women's basketball

During the winter of 1892, the women's basketball was introduced by a person named Sendra Berenson, a gymnastic instructor at Smith College, Northampton, MA. She taught basketball to her students, hoping the activity would improve their physical health.

However, Berenson was taking risks simply in teaching the game to women. She was a little worried about the women suffering from "nervous fatigue" if the games were too strenuous for them. In order for the women to play, She taught modified rules.

The court was divided into 3 sections and 9 players per team. Three players were assigned to each area (guard, center, forward) and could not cross the line into another area.

The ball was moved from section to section by passing or dribbling. Players were limited to 3 dribbles and could hold the ball for 3 seconds. No snatching or batting the ball away from a player was allowed. A center jump was required after each score. At that time, peach baskets and the soccer ball were the equipment.

After that, variations of Berenson’s rules spread across the country via YMCAs and colleges.

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During that time, no male spectators were allowed since it was socially not acceptable. Some say it was a result of misinterpretation of Naismith's court diagram led to three zone sections with 2 players stationary in each section.

The three court sections were reduced into two, with 2 stationary guards, 2 stationary forwards, and 2 "rovers" that could move around the entire court in 1938.

In 1896, the first intercolligate women's basketball game was played between Stanford and California. In 1971, women were finally allowed to play full court. The first ever women's national championship was conducted by the Amatetur Athletic Union (AAU) in 1936.

In 1969, FIBA held the first women's world championship and Louisiana Tech won the first NCAA championship in 1982. Oklahoma was the last state to switch from court sections to full court play in high school games in 1995.

Today, women's basketball is played with the same enthusiasm and intensity as men's basketball.

History of Women's Basketball

(From YouTube, Channel Name: Kathy Thomas)

Rules and Equipment

Today, the rules for women's basketball are the same as the rules for men's basketball except for one rule is that the circumference of the women’s basketball is 1in, smaller than the circumference of the size of the men's basketball.

In American professional basketball, the women’s 3-point line is slightly closer to the basket than men’s.

In college basketball in the US, the women also have a closer 3-point line, use a 30 second shot clock and do not have a 10 second back court rule.

Basketball Size

The regulation WNBA ball is a minimum 28.5 inches (72.4 cm) in circumference, which is 1.00 inch (2.54 cm) smaller than the NBA ball.

Court Dimensions

The standard court size in U.S. college and WNBA play is 94 feet long by 50 feet wide.

The FIBA standard court is slightly smaller at 28m long by 15m wide (91 ft 10.4 in by 49 ft 2.6 in). The 3-point line is 20 feet and 6.25 inches (6.25 m) from the middle of the basket in WNBA competition but 6.75 m (22 ft 1.7 in) in FIBA competition.

There is no block/charge arc under the basket in WNBA, whereas FIBA's 2010 rules created a 1.25 m (4 ft 1 in) block/charge arc.

Shot Clock

The WNBA shot clock is 24 seconds, which has been in FIBA play since 2000. Women’s NCAA college basketball uses a 30 second shot clock.

Game Clock

WNBA and FIBA games are played in four 10-minute quarters. For most of the high school games are played in 8 minutes per quarter. For college games are played in 20 minutes per half.

The Evolution of Women's Basketball

(From YouTube, Channel Name: WNBA)