Just one week after Professor James Naismith invented basketball in 1891 for his male physical education students, female students at nearby Smith College had adopted the sport and made it their own. From being sequestered in empty gyms to playing before millions on TV, women have played basketball with passion, intensity, and skill ever since. This thorough and lively history traces basketball's development from the sedate movements of early 20th century maidens to the dramatic and flamboyant power of Olympic and professional athletes. Discover how basketball's rich and controversial history has shaped the sport into the demanding, but rewarding pursuit it has become.