Why She Plays

by Baker, Christine A.

• ISBN13: 9780803216334
• ISBN10: 0803216335
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-12-01
• Publisher: Bison Books

Summary

Why does she play basketball? Since the enactment of Title IX in 1972, that question has come to be asked of more girls and womenand answered in more waysthan ever before. Christine A. Baker, herself an avid player and an assistant coach, pursues an answer through the ranks of the sport from youth basketball to the WNBA. Baker sets the stage with a quick look at current statistics and trends in women's basketball nationwide, noting the profound changes in the last thirty-five years. A series of exclusive interviews then takes us into the heart and soul of the sport. Her subjects are players and coaches, from neophytes to stars such as Dawn Staley and Nancy Lieberman; from legendary coaches such as Jody Conradt to the masterminds of USA Basketball and the 1996 Women's Dream Team; from Donna Lopiano, former CEO of the Women's Sports Foundation, to tomorrow's Olympic athletes. A richly detailed, all-encompassing portrait of the sport, these interviews offer a wealth of insight into the game, American sports culture, and, indeed, why Baker plays.

Author Biography

Christine A. Baker is a writer for the Web site Full Court Press. She is also an assistant varsity coach, copywriter, and graphic designer. Becky Hammon, one of the most recognizable players in the WNBA today, is a WNBA All-Star and player with the San Antonio Silver Stars.

Table of Contents

Foreword

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Youth Basketball1

Heck Yeah, I'm a Tomboy

The Fun Factor

High School Basketball

You Can't Measure Heart

The Creme of the Crop

College Basketball

Three Divisions, One Association

Conradt and Goestenkors: Greater than the Sum of Their Wins

The Approach of a Coach

A Dance Is Still a Dance

The WNBA

Over Ten Years and Going Strong: The WNBA

The Superstars and the ""Special"" Treatment

USA Basketball11. U.S. Versus the Rest of the World

The Best in the World

Media Coverage and Women's Basketball

The Slippery Slope of Gender Politics

Unique but Alike

Her Place of Peace Epilogue: Building the Perfect Player

High School

Part icipation by State

The Structure of USA Basketball

Notes

Suggested Readings"

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