Blog

We thought we were going to Politics and Prose in D.C. for a talk and signing of our book, Shattering the Glass. We did, but that’s burying the lead. The important thing is, we told a myriad of stories about women fighting for the opportunity to play basketball, a pursuit sometimes constrained or simply squashed […]

At such a perilous time for this nation and the world, it sometimes seems frivolous to post about basketball. But we carry on. Here’s why. Those who seek to drag American society back to an imaginary past often portray the women’s movement as cynically contrived, throwing society dangerously out of balance. The history of women’s […]

So excited to have Shattering the Glass out in the world! We’ve been sharing some tidbits on social media – one each day or so. We’re gathering them here. Enjoy! If you like what you see, you’ll find a lot more in the book. February 2: The Meaning of Sports for Women In the late […]

When we were writing Shattering the Glass, we didn’t imagine we’d be asked to make a presentation at Christian Dior. But basketball and fashion have plenty of connections. These days, such links show clearly in the wide variety of imaginative “fits” that have become a standard part of the WNBA’s pregame tunnel walks, as well […]

February 23, Iowa City, Iowa Waves of sound fill Carver-Hawkeye Arena as the two teams, tied at 54, race up and down the court. A score, a miss, a block. The Hawkeyes are playing #3 UCLA. They struggled early in the season – new coach, new cast of players – but they beat #4 USC […]

  The week after Christmas, from 1949 to 1960, thousands of North Carolinians converged on Raleigh to watch some of the best men’s college basketball in the country. The occasion: the Dixie Classic, the brainchild of N.C. State coach Everett Case, which pitted the men of North Carolina’s “Big Four” teams – N.C. State, UNC, […]

In our first appearance for the new edition of Shattering the Glass, Pamela and I had a terrific time at All Good Books in Columbia, S.C., on February 15. In particular, we addressed how Coach Dawn Staley has built the University of South Carolina’s program into a national powerhouse, and were delighted that WOLO, the […]

I’ll be in Iowa City from January 20 through January 23, signing books, talking about Iowa’s rich women’s basketball history and taking in the Iowa-UCLA game. Looking forward to it. I’ll be sorting through my closet to dig out my winter clothes, which I rarely need here in Charlotte. On Thursday, the day I arrive, […]

Black women have long energized American women’s basketball. Marian Washington, C. Vivian Stringer, Lusia Harris, Lynette Woodard, Cheryl Miller, Cynthia Cooper, Dawn Staley, Carolyn Peck, Chamique Holdsclaw, Candace Parker, Seimone Augustus, Brittney Griner, Maya Moore, A’ja Wilson – the list of stars and coaches goes on and on. These achievements draw on a rich, deep […]

  We’ve got a great schedule of appearances and events coming up. Join us if you can! February 15: All Good Books, Columbia, S.C., 3-5 p.m. February 17: Charlotte Talks radio show, WFAE, 90.7FM, 9 a.m. and on website February 17: Virtual Talk, Damecore Impact, Christian Dior Couture, New York, N.Y., 1 p.m. February 19: […]

It’s always great to be invited to the UNC women’s basketball alumni game. There’s nothing like chatting with players whose experience stretches across the six decades since Title IX – and even with a few who played prior to the landmark law. The state of North Carolina has an especially deep tradition of women’s basketball […]

Some of our favorite parts of Shattering the Glass involve the remarkable history of Iowa women’s basketball. It’s an inspiring story, with developments that include support for a pathbreaking girls’ high school tournament, the incisive advocacy of University of Iowa athletic director Christine Grant, the successes of coaches such as C. Vivian Stringer and Lisa […]

The expanded edition of Shattering the Glass is almost here! The first edition, published by the New Press in 2005, was the most comprehensive account of American women’s basketball ever written. It became an integral part of sports history classes across the country. Readers raved. Bust Magazine termed it “an indispensable resource.” Renowned sportswriter Robert […]

CHARLOTTE, NC The hot pink billboard hovers over a shopping center on the east side of Charlotte, North Carolina. At the center, a young Black woman clad in a short skirt and cropped hoodie lounges on a gilded throne. To her left sits a glittering array of hair care products. To her right, the title […]

CHARLOTTE, NC The inaugural Ally Tipoff has reached its final minute and the crowd of 15,000 has risen to its feet. The third-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes, captained by the incandescent Caitlin Clark, have been trading three-pointers with the eighth-ranked Virginia Tech Hokies. The lead has changed hands 11 times throughout the game. With 31 seconds left […]

When Kim Mulkey’s LSU Tigers won the national women’s basketball title in April 2023, she became the first coach in the college women’s game to capture the crown at two different NCAA Division 1 schools. About six months later, LSU made Mulkey the highest paid women’s college basketball coach with a 10-year, $32 million contract. […]

The following is adapted from Hoops and Heroes: The Inspiring History of Army West Point Women’s Basketball, which debuted in spring 2023. Susan Shackelford, co-author of Shattering the Glass, wrote the book for Friends of Army Women’s Basketball and provided this adaptation of the book’s Introduction. For more on the book, go to hoopsandheroesbook.org. Lisa […]

DALLAS, TEXAS Angel Reese’s left leg flashes royal purple as she glides across the court, sporting a single-leg athletic “sleeve.” In a recent talk with The Sporting News, Reece explained she wears the covering in part to hide a surgical scar, and in part as a nod to WNBA stars A’ja Wilson and T’ea Cooper, […]

It is the summer of 2003 and I am sitting in the heart of Philadelphia, at a microfilm reader in the archives at Temple University. I squint at the dim screen as I crank through issues of the Philadelphia Tribune, tracking the five-game basketball series played by the Germantown Hornets and the Tribune’s Newsgirls back […]

Ora Washington, trophy in hand, looks over at fellow tennis player Dorothy Morgan, posed beside her with an awkward smile. Morgan is taller and far younger than Washington, but she has been no match for the 40-year-old star, who has just beaten her 6-2, 6-1 to win the Philadelphia Open. Washington stands with balanced, easy […]

Like the rest of the sports world, we were saddened to hear of the passing of the extraordinary Lusia Harris. We thought we’d share this excerpt from Shattering the Glass, which touches on Harris’s championship play for coach Margaret Wade at Delta State in Cleveland, Mississippi. Photo courtesy of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. […]

Had a swell time talking women’s basketball with the great Dave Zirin for his latest Edge of Sports podcast. WNBA, NCAA, Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ+, ever-improving play – so much great stuff to discuss. Dave’s questions always get to the heart of the matter. It’s worth a listen. So hard to fathom that Shattering the […]

Aari McDonald stares out of her WNBA draft photo, arms folded, biceps sculpted, looking ahead. On April 15, when the draft kicks off the WNBA’s silver anniversary season, McDonald will go high. She has just come off a stellar NCAA tournament, where she led third-seeded Arizona to the championship game – a heartstopping contest with […]