Women's basketball
WNBL Canberra Capitals player Nicole Hunt attempts to steal the ball from Logan Thunder's Renae Camino
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| Highest governing body | International Basketball Federation |
|---|---|
| Characteristics | |
| Contact | Limited |
| Team members | Five on-court players per team |
| Type | Team sport, ball sport |
| Equipment | Basketball |
| Venue | Basketball court |
| Presence | |
| Olympic | Yes |
Women's basketball is one of the few women's sports that developed in tandem with its men's counterpart. It became popular, spreading from the east coast of the United States to the west coast, in large part via women's colleges. From 1895 until 1970, the term "women's basketball" was also used to refer to netball, which evolved in parallel with modern women's basketball.
The FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup features the top national teams from continental championships. The main North American league is the WNBA, whereas the EuroLeague Women has been dominated by teams from the Russian Women's Basketball Premier League. The NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship is also popular in the United States.
Women's basketball began in the winter of 1892 at Smith College. Senda Berenson, an instructor at Smith, taught basketball to her students, hoping the activity would improve their physical health. Basketball's early adherents were affiliated with YMCAs and colleges throughout the United States, and the game quickly spread throughout the country.
However, Berenson was taking risks simply in teaching the game to women. She worried a little about the women suffering from "nervous fatigue" if games were too strenuous for them. And, in order to keep it "acceptable" for women to play at all, she taught modified rules. These included a court divided into three areas and nine 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 three dribbles and could hold the ball for three seconds. No snatching or batting the ball away from a player was allowed. A center jump was required after each score. Peach baskets and the soccer ball were the equipment. Variations of Berenson’s rules spread across the country via YMCAs and colleges.
The first intercollegiate women's basketball game was played between teams from Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley, in 1896.
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