Womens Basketball

In early December 1891, Dr. James Naismith, a minister on the faculty of a college for YMCA professionals (today, Springfield College) in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA, sought a vigorous indoor game to keep his students occupied and at proper levels of fitness during the long New England winters. After rejecting other ideas as either too rough or poorly suited to walled-in gymnasiums, he wrote the basic rules and nailed a peach basket onto an 10-foot (3.05 m) elevated track. In contrast with modern basketball nets, this peach basket retained its bottom, so balls scored into the basket had to be poked out with a long dowel each time. A soccer ball was used to shoot goals.

Dr. Naismith's handwritten diaries of the time indicate that he was nervous about this invention, which incorporated rules from a Canadian children's game called "Duck on a Rock", as many had failed before it. Dr. Naismith himself was originally from Canada.

Naismith's new game is quite similar to the game of team handball, which had already been invented in the early 1890s.

The first official basketball game was played in the YMCA gymnasium on January 20, 1892 with nine players, on a court just half the size of a present-day National Basketball Association (NBA) court. "Basket ball", the name suggested by one of Naismith's students, was popular from the beginning.

Women's basketball began in 1892 at Smith College when Senda Berenson, a physical education teacher, modified Naismith's rules for women.

Basketball's early adherents were dispatched to YMCAs throughout the United States, and it quickly spread through the USA and Canada. By 1895, it was well established at several women's high schools. While the YMCA was responsible for initially developing and spreading the game, within a decade it discouraged the new sport, as rough play and rowdy crowds began to detract from the YMCA's primary mission. However, other amateur sports clubs, colleges, and professional clubs quickly filled the void. In the years before World War I, the Amateur Athletic Union and the Intercollegiate Athletic Association (forerunner of the NCAA) vied for control over the rules for the game.

Basketball was originally played with a soccer ball. The first balls made specifically for basketball were brown, and it was only in the late 1950s that Tony Hinkle, searching for a ball that would be more visible to players and spectators alike, introduced the orange ball that is now in common use.

Dribbling, the bouncing of the ball up and down while moving, was not part of the original game except for the "bounce pass" to teammates. Passing the ball was the primary means of ball movement. Dribbling was eventually introduced but limited by the asymmetric shape of early balls. Dribbling only became a major part of the game around the 1950s as manufacturing improved the ball shape.

Basketball, netball, dodgeball, volleyball, and lacrosse are the only ball games which have been identified as being invented by North Americans. Other ball games, such as baseball and Canadian football, have Commonwealth of Nations, European, Asian or African connections.

Fans can find latest sports News, such as football and basketball scores as well as current events on the sports web sites. There is a long list of sports news sites. Now, people or sport lovers do not have to press buttons of TV remote to find out the various sports news, scores, and events at various news channels.

With the arrival of Internet, it has become possible for the sport lovers to get all the required information at their fingertips and that too within a matter of seconds. Readers can find the truth and rumors about basketball players and games through basketball news. Below is a description of certain well-known basketball news sources:

CNN sports web site provides the latest basketball news and basketball coverage. Fans can find top NBA stories through this site. They can find basketball coverage and news from renowned writers such as Marty Burns, Steve Aschburner, and Ian Thomsen. The web site also includes videos of the crucial match winning moments.

Fox sports web site displays score of current basketball coverage. It covers news for the basketball clubs such as Kings, Tigers, Bullets, Wildcats, Crocs, Taipans, Breakers, Blaze, 36ers, Razorbacks, Hawks, Singers, and Dragons.

WNBA web site covers the News and coverage of women basketball. Readers can find schedules of different matches on this site. The web site also includes basketball coverage and information related to players. The history column provides information on how the women basketball has shaped over the years.

Top 25 Basketball Teams:

ESPN has displayed the NCAA men's basketball rankings for the year 2008. The top 25 basketball teams are North Carolina, Memphis, UCLA, Kansas, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Texas, Georgetown, Duke, Stanford, Butler, Xavier, Louisville, Drake, Notre Dame, Connecticut, Pittsburgh, Michigan State, Vanderbilt, Purdue, Washington State, Clemson, Davidson, Gonzaga, and Marquette.

Basketball enthusiasts may find best coaching and instruction information on most basketball web sites. They provide sources for basketball coaching sessions, basketball books and videos, basketball camps, and basketball equipment. They cover topics such as basics of basketball and motivational guidelines. There are chat rooms, where fans can discuss their favorite basketball players and teams.

The father of basketball, Dr. James Naismith came up with the game in 1892 and the first game was played in Beaver Falls Pennsylvania on April 8 1893 between the New Brighton YMCA and the Geneva College. The game was very popular and by 1914 as many as 360 colleges boasted basketball teams. In 1939, the first NCAA Men's College Basketball Championship tournament was held which was won by the University of Oregon.

The formation of Pro basketball in 1896 came about from a dispute between YMCA team members and officials and ended in the members forming a professional team that played for money. In 1898, the NBL (National Basketball League) was formed and produced the first basketball stars - Ed Wachter and Barney Sedran.

The first two professional basketball teams to achieve success were the Buffalo Germans and the Celtics but during the 1930's favorites included the New York Renaissance and the Harlem Globetrotters. During this time, womens basketball was also popular and produced great players such as Babe Didrikson and Alline Banks Sprouse.

In 1940, the first college basketball game was shown on TV. This game was played between Pittsburgh and Fordham at Madison Square Garden, and catapulted basketball into a national sensation. Since then basketball has been one of the most watched sports and in fact the March Madness, when almost 350 American colleges compete for the NCAA basketball crown is the most watched event in the United States.

In Pro basketball during the 1940's and 50's the Minneapolis Lakers were a huge favorite of many winning 5 NBA championship titles and producing starts like Bob Cousy and Bob Pettit. But during the late 1950's up until 1969, the Celtics had the court winning 11 NBA titles (8 f them right in a row). During this era favorite players included Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlin of the Philadelphia Warriors.

During 1963 to 1975 The University of California, Los Angeles was in the spotlight winning 10 national championships, including seven in a row. Some of the great players of this UCLA team include Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jamaal Wilkes, Bill Walton, Gail Goodrich and Marques Johnson.

In 1967 the American Basketball Association (ABA) was formed and many will remember one of the satart players Julius Erving as well as their red white and blue basketballs. The ABA only lasted until 1976 when it broke up and many of the teams joined the NBA.

In the 1960's, womens basketball introduced the 5 player full court format and made dribbling fully legal but it wasn't until 1985 that the Basketball Hall of Fame began inducting woman coaches and players. Some of the first women to get this honor include Carol Blazejowski, Ann Meyers, Cheryl Miller; Nancy Lieberman-Cline and Anne Donovan.

In the late 1970's start players like Larry Bird of Indiana State University and Michigan State Universities Magic Johnson emerged and the late 1980s saw such major players as Isiah Thomas and Dennis Rodman. But perhaps the most beloved player of all is Michael Jordan who led the Chicago Bulls to six NBA championships in the 1990s.

The father of basketball, Dr. James Naismith came up with the game in 1892 and the first game was played in Beaver Falls Pennsylvania on April 8 1893 between the New Brighton YMCA and the Geneva College. The game was very popular and by 1914 as many as 360 colleges boasted basketball teams. In 1939, the first NCAA Men's College Basketball Championship tournament was held which was won by the University of Oregon.

The formation of Pro basketball in 1896 came about from a dispute between YMCA team members and officials and ended in the members forming a professional team that played for money. In 1898, the NBL (National Basketball League) was formed and produced the first basketball stars - Ed Wachter and Barney Sedran.

The first two professional basketball teams to achieve success were the Buffalo Germans and the Celtics but during the 1930's favorites included the New York Renaissance and the Harlem Globetrotters. During this time, womens basketball was also popular and produced great players such as Babe Didrikson and Alline Banks Sprouse.

In 1940, the first college basketball game was shown on TV. This game was played between Pittsburgh and Fordham at Madison Square Garden, and catapulted basketball into a national sensation. Since then basketball has been one of the most watched sports and in fact the March Madness, when almost 350 American colleges compete for the NCAA basketball crown is the most watched event in the United States.

In Pro basketball during the 1940's and 50's the Minneapolis Lakers were a huge favorite of many winning 5 NBA championship titles and producing starts like Bob Cousy and Bob Pettit. But during the late 1950's up until 1969, the Celtics had the court winning 11 NBA titles (8 f them right in a row). During this era favorite players included Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlin of the Philadelphia Warriors.

During 1963 to 1975 The University of California, Los Angeles was in the spotlight winning 10 national championships, including seven in a row. Some of the great players of this UCLA team include Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jamaal Wilkes, Bill Walton, Gail Goodrich and Marques Johnson.

In 1967 the American Basketball Association (ABA) was formed and many will remember one of the satart players Julius Erving as well as their red white and blue basketballs. The ABA only lasted until 1976 when it broke up and many of the teams joined the NBA.

In the 1960's, womens basketball introduced the 5 player full court format and made dribbling fully legal but it wasn't until 1985 that the Basketball Hall of Fame began inducting woman coaches and players. Some of the first women to get this honor include Carol Blazejowski, Ann Meyers, Cheryl Miller; Nancy Lieberman-Cline and Anne Donovan.

In the late 1970's start players like Larry Bird of Indiana State University and Michigan State Universities Magic Johnson emerged and the late 1980s saw such major players as Isiah Thomas and Dennis Rodman. But perhaps the most beloved player of all is Michael Jordan who led the Chicago Bulls to six NBA championships in the 1990s.

The first official basketball history would be at YMCA in Trenton, New Jersey, in 1896. It was the fallout of a dispute between members of the YMCA team and a YMCA official, resulting in a professional team, playing for money. 2 years later, the National Basketball League was founded.

In the 2oth century, the top professional teams were the Buffalo Germans and the Original Celtics. The first major national professional league was the American Basketball League.

In the 30s, the most successful teams were the New York Renaissance and Harlem Globetrotters. Both of these teams consisted of all-black players.

In the 40s, the game was monopolized by the Minneapolis Lakers, led by George Mikan and coached by John Kundla. This team won 5 NBA championships in the decade.

Come the 50s, guard Bob Cousy and forward Bob Pettit were celebrated players. From 1957 to 1969, The Celtics won 11 NBA titles, 6 of them led by Bill Russell.

From 1963 to 1975, the UCLA team won ten national championships. Star players during this period were center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, center Bill Walton, guard Gail Goodrich, forward Jamaal Wilkes, and forward Marques Johnson. Abdul-Jabbar made history by becoming the leading scorer with 38,387 points in his career.

In the 80s, basketball was dominated by the Detroit Pistons with Isiah Thomas and Dennis Rodman.

And most recently, Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls are the highlights of the 90s, with the Bulls winning 6 NBA titles. Star players in this period were Hakeem Olajuwon, Scottie Pippen, Charles Barkley, David Robinson, Karl Malone, John Stockton, and Shaquille O'Neal. And the women star players were Cynthia Cooper, Sheryl Swoopes, Teresa Edwards, Lisa Leslie, and Jennifer Azzi.

Women basketball has also undergone some changes throughout the years. In 1966, dribbling was legalized in play. 3 years later, a 5-player full court format was introduced. In 1984, women officials (coaches, players) were admitted in the basketball hall-of-fame. Some of these famous women who obtained recognition for their skills and expertise were Ann Meyers, Carol Blazejowski, Cheryl Miller; Anne Donovan and Nancy Lieberman-Cline.

The NBA's rival was the American Basketball Association (ABA) and its trademark red, white, and blue basketballs. The best player for ABA was Julius Erving. ABA was dissolved in 1976.

The passing of years have seen the rise and fall of many teams and players. Without a doubt, all the players strive to do their best to be immortalized as the champions of the decade.

It all started with a child's game that the inventor, Dr. James Naismith used to play outside his schoolhouse when he was younger. This game was called duck-on-a-rock, it aimed to knock the duck off the rock by tossing another rock against it.

This then gave Dr. Naismith a concept of a game which he introduced to the students of YMCA Training School in 1891. Due to the cold weather, the trainees of the School for Christian Workers needed a game that could be played indoors and one that wouldn't use much strength. He then conceptualized a ball game that uses two baskets as goals with both teams competing for the most number of shots.

Apart from the game itself, he also outlined the first 13 rules on playing the game which covers the guidelines, distinction of violations and fouls, and the roles of both umpires and referees, including the duration of each game.

Thus, these events led to the actual birth of the game in December 21, 1881 when it was first played after Dr. Luther Gulick, the head of physical education at the YMCA, gave a two-week allowance for his employee to create a new game.

While the game would be developed in the following years, the students of the YMCA Training School loved it initially. It was even said that Dr. Naismith had a difficult time convincing his students to leave the game after each session.

The game went on to be played in the Olympics in Berlin, Germany where the USA Team beat the Canadian team with a score of 19-8. At this time, there were 22 nations that joined the competition. By 1976, Women's Basketball was introduced into the Olympics. 

On August 3, 1949 in New York City, the National Basketball Association was formed. But prior to that were the creations of National Basketball League (NBL) in 1937 and Basketball Association of America (BAA) in 1946. The NBA now serves as the largest group in the history of basketball. There are only two leagues left which retained their names since the formation of NBA, the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics.

The first women's collegiate basketball was splayed on April 4, 1896 in San Francisco's Page Street Armory where Cal and Stanford met. Unlike the physical and strenuous game we now see in WNBA, the women basketball teams back in 1896 retained their ladylike approach in the game and rules were even modified to accommodate this natural tendency. Stanford then won with a 2-1 score against Cal team.

These events led to the popularity of basketball in our time.

The history of women's college basketball started in Smith College for girls in 1893. But the first official basketball match played by women was between Stanford and Berkley in April 1896, which was played behind locked doors, for women eyes' only.

The first rules for women basketball were drawn up in 1901. These included rules that we would find peculiar today like having the basket sewn, where the umpire had to retrieve the ball after each score, and even playing on grass courts!

In 1975, the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics was formed and the first national basketball tournament for women was held. In the same year, the first All-American women basketball team was selected.

Only recently in 1996, the American Basketball League (ABL) was founded and WNBA a year later.

College basketball is supervised by the NCAAA. According to the NCAAA, there shall be 3 divisions for basketball to filter out the players. Division I is the most prominent and popular league that is participated by colleges that sponsor seven sports for women players. This is followed by Division 2, participated by colleges that hold four sports for women players while Division 3 is played by colleges that organize five sports and have two participating teams.

The winners of 31 matches will qualify for the annual basketball championship. Another 34 teams will be chosen by a selection committee. These teams are categorized into four pools and given seedings. The championship will be played on the 3rd Thursday of March every year between teams and the losers eliminated until a grand champion emerges.

It is without question that the governing body of women's basketball is important to ensure smooth running of championships and to preserve the standards of this game.

A Coaches note first. Founded in 1981, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association promotes women's basketball by unifying coaches at all levels to develop a reputable identity for the sport of women's basketball and to foster and promote the development of the game of basketball as an amateur sport for women and girls.

Women's college basketball dates back to a game played at Smith College for girls in 1893 between freshmen against the sophomores. However, the first official women's basketball match was played between Stanford and Berkley in April 1896. This match was played behind locked doors and men were not allowed to watch women prancing on the basketball court.

The first rules governing women's basketball were written in 1901. However, these rules continued to be modified as the game evolved. The early years also saw some freak playing rules. For instance, the basket was sewn, and it was left to the umpire to retrieve the ball every time a basket was scored. Not only this, some games were played on grass courts!

It was only in 1975 that the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women conducted the first national basketball tournament for women, and in 1975, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association selected their first All-America Team. The American Basketball League (ABL) was founded in 1996 and the WNBA in 1997. These associations came up to stop American basketball players from moving to foreign leagues.

The college basketball, however, continues to be supervised by NCAAA, which has set up three divisions to filter the best players. Division I is the most prominent and popular league. Those colleges that sponsor at least 7 sports for women players play it. They are required to play all but two of their games against other women basketball teams in Division 1.

Division II includes those colleges that organize at least four sports each for women. These basketball teams are required to play at least half of their games against Division I or Division II teams. Division III includes those colleges that organize at least five sports with two teams.

The winners of 31 conferences automatically qualify for NCAA's annual women's basketball championship. The remaining 34 are chosen by a selection committee to make it a field of 64. These teams are then organized in four pools, with each pool seeded from one to 16.

The tourney starts on the third Thursday of March with the most hectic action-taking place in the first two days, when 32 teams make their exit. The next two days see another 16 teams making a bow. The competition heats up for the Final Four position, and then for the ultimate winner.

As some many women basketball players like Lisa Leslie, Tina Thompson and Cynthia Cooper became the best players for years; Candace Parker is the light in this generation. Her skills and amazing heart for the game is projected in the court. She just loves the game and enjoys every minute of it.

The new face of basketball has the potential to be Miller, Leslie and Cooper in one; she just has the skills to shoot, post and dunk the ball, whenever she wants. With only 22 years of age, this super woman has pulled off so many accomplishments as few have done. During this year she has achieved the NCAA title, being the No.1 draft in the WNBA, graduating with a degree in sports management; and just now, playing with the USA Team in the Olympics.

Looks like during her basketball career, Candace Parker, has done it almost all. When she was only 17 years old, Parker won the Slam Dunk contest of the McDonald's High School All-American Game, by beating five male participants in the contest; event that turned her into the first woman to do so. During her college career, Parker led the Tennessee Lady Val's to two NCAA titles. She was also named twice Most Outstanding Player of the Year, accomplishment only done by Miller, Holdsclaw and Taurasi. Moreover, Parker is also known as the first female to dunk in a NCAA tournament game and the second female after Lisa Leslie to dunk in a WNBA game.

According to some details given by someone close to Candace, she's getting a huge income through advertising, even bigger than most of the NBA players; and no wonder why, if she already has contracts with Adidas and Gatorade. Currently, Candace plays for the Sparks and if she decides to play overseas in the offseason, she may gain more money than any woman basketball player ever.

In the Olympics, Parker has done pretty amazing things helping the team reach their third win, and a 28-0 record internationally (since 1992). The team expects to win the next game and keep their record as further as they can, to eventually obtain the gold medal. Obviously, Parker hopes for her the triumph and the first Olympic gold medal in her career.

Parker said that being in the Olympics is something she always looked forward to do, and talked about how pleased and proud she feels being there representing the USA. "This is my first Olympics and I hope to come back numerous times" affirmed the American.

The WNBA and USA National Team former player, Dawn Staley, expressed herself about Parker and this is part of what she said "She has converted her game into something special. To see Candace grow and to see Candace do what she does is an incredible thing around the world. But things are better and out future incredible when you have someone like Candace who does what she does with her still needing to grow."

For sure Candace Parker will show us a lot of her potential in years to come, but she still has a long way to go, with a lot to learn and experience to gain.

Cindy Ferguson is a high-ranking writer on WNBA Basketball for the sports betting industry. You can also find more of her work at Instant Action Sports UK. Feel free to reprint this article in its whole on your site, make sure to leave all links in place and do not modify any of the content.