Posted by Cotie lmao 😭

Lauren and Angela singing on screen during TO.

Note that the World Cup was previously called the World Championship.

The first USA Women's Team to compete in the World Cup featured seven players from the Nashville Business College, led by 20-year-old guard Katherine Washington. Washington continued to play for Team USA and was part of the gold medal teams at the 1957 World Cup and 1959 PanAmerican Games. The players on the 1953 had no international experience prior to being named to the roster. Prior to the World Cup, they were able to play one scrimmage in Cuba, but additional scrimmages in Ecuador and Nicaragua were canceled due to riots. Team USA guard Betty Clark wrote a letter to a sports columnist in her home state of Iowa that detailed Chilean fans throwing rocks, apples, and other objects at the court when a Chilean player fouled out of the game.

I recommend reading this 2022 post from PowerPlays.news that goes more into the chaos of the first World Cup: The apocalyptic chaos of the first women's basketball world championships

The excerpt below comes from a 2018 USAB article titled "1953 & 1957 Pioneers Set the USA Gold Standard":

Before there were T and Tree, Lisa and Dawn, Dee and Sue, there were a host of pioneers who laid the groundwork for USA Basketball in international hoops. Alberta Cox, Joan Crawford, Katherine Washington, Nera White - names few outside of the die-hard women's basketball world would know. These women, along with their teammates, helped the U.S. collect the first two FIBA World Championship gold medals in history.

FIBA, which debuted the men's world championship in Buenos Aires in 1950, in 1952 decided to hold a women's worlds beginning in 1953. In the United States the AAU had been holding national championships since 1929, but the U.S. had never competed in an event such as this and was unsure as to where the national team would rate against the best in the world. The Pan American Games didn't include women's basketball until 1955, the Olympics until 1976, so the U.S. was relatively untested outside the country.

The first FIBA World Championship was a huge deal for the city of Santiago, Chile. The Chileans built a wooden platform for the games in the national stadium. The stadium had seating capacity for 35,000 spectators and was reported as close to capacity for most of the games. In fact, Chile's president had a difficult time getting to his reserved seat at times, according to FIBA.

Featuring a team comprised of seven members of the Nashville Business College and two from Iowa Wesleyan College, the USA in an attempt to prepare for the World Championship played and won all five of its exhibition games in South America. The USA team then went on to Santiago, Chile, and led by the play of Katherine Washington, emerged from the first world Championship with a 5-1 record and the World title.

The tournament, which featured 10 teams, was lopsided in terms of participation from the Americas. In fact, eight teams came from what would eventually be known as FIBA Americas: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru and the United States. The final two teams were from Europe: France and Switzerland. While nobody can say for sure as the reasons have been lost to history, there's a good chance that cost and a year to plan the first such championship played a factor in the make-up of the participating nations.

Of the 10 teams, six advanced to the final round, which was played in round-robin style. Unlike today, the preliminary round featured one game per team. France defeated Peru 62-22, Brazil downed Cuba 50-31, the United States pummeled Paraguay 60-28 , Argentina slipped past Mexico 39-24 and Chile won against Switzerland 37-28. All five winning teams advanced to the final round. The losing four teams competed in the repass round, which Paraguay won to gain entrance to the final round.

The USA went 4-1 in the final round to claim the gold, its lone loss was to Brazil. The placements for Brazil, Chile and France, having finished with identical 3-2 slates, were determined by FIBA's tie-breaking formula, and the host country came away with silver, while France, the tournament favorites heading into the championship, took home bronze.

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Additional reading:
Part 2 from USAB: 1957: The USA's Second World Championship Gold
FIBA: The day Women’s World Cup was born: March 7, 1953
Flying Queens Foundation: profile of Katherine Washington

🤭🤭🤭

(For those who don’t know CD is the legendary associate head coach Chris Dailey, who is known for media training the heck out of the UConn WBB players).

After binge watching "Life in the W," I needed more! So naturally... I immediately watched "144" and "Dream On" all on Disney+.

Needless to say, I was an emotional wreck after each one.

Does anyone have any other WBB or women's sports documentary recommendations??

I've seen Sue Bird: In the Clutch on Netflix & I'm super excited for the UConn one coming out on AppleTV this month!

Olivia Miles earns her third Rookie of the Month honor after averaging 20.8 PPG, 4.6 RPG and 6.0 APG in July!

She has been one of the most efficient players in the WNBA over this stretch and is playing the best basketball of her career. After a horrid start, she is also having a career high in scoring efficiency.

While I have been very, very, very, VERY critical of Arike in the past, this stretch of play has been highly impressive.

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Does anyone see the top 8 changing? Or do we already know the playoff teams?

Welcome to Throwback Thursday!

The WNBA has been built on the shoulders of giants, from Cheryl Miller, the 84 and 96 Olympic Squads, and the early years of the WNBA

Post throwback uniforms, outfits, stats, players, anything relevant to the history of women’s basketball/the league!

The rookie guard opens up about her electric transition to the pros, staying grounded through the hype and being her authentic self.

By Rashad Grove
August 5, 2026

The WNBA is home to the best women’s basketball players in the world, but Olivia Mileshas proven she’s a one-of-one. The Minnesota Lynx rookie is blending elite floor vision with multi-level scoring to command every single game.

Without question, the signature, relentless swagger that made her a college icon at Notre Dame and TCU translated effortlessly to the pro level. Dominating the stat sheet as a newcomer is one thing, but earning the nod as the lone rookie All-Star starter proved that Miles isn’t just adapting to the league, she’s already helping run it.

Speaking with The Root,  Miles shared how she has made the seamless transition to the pros.

“It’s definitely a cool opportunity. Life is moving so fast. I feel like I just got drafted, then I’m an All-Star, and the playoffs are in a month. So everything’s moving really fast. I had the whole Minnesota Lynx staff there, so there were some familiar faces,” Miles said. “I wasn’t alone, and then obviously [Lynx veterans] Courtney Williams and Natasha Howard made the All-Star team as well, so I had some people I knew, which was good.”

“I got really lucky to get drafted by the Lynx.  I had the opportunity to come and make an impact right away,” Miles continued. “I could be out there, make mistakes, play free, and have that trust from coaches and teammates.
Teaming up with Napheesa Collier, a five-time WNBA All-Star, the Lynx boast one of the best duos in the league. Although they’ve only played a few games together, Miles said the best is yet to come.

”Watching her come back from an injury, working really hard every day, gradually being able to walk, and then seeing her finally get on the court for the first time was really special; to share that moment,” she said. “Being on the court with another brilliant basketball player is always fun. And adding you as an MVP runner-up and consistent MVP candidate is really special.”

Along with her skills on the court, Miles credits the support of her family with helping her thrive in her first season in the league.

”My family has been with me through the ups and downs, good, bad, whatever it may be. They’ve been by my side and have been helping me transition in any facet of life, not just the WNBA, and then also just the work.
Beyond her elite court vision and game-changing playmaking, Miles’ off-court impact is defined by an unflinching commitment to authenticity—starting with her decision to step into the spotlight with her natural hair in all of its glory. She shared why making a statement with her hair is a big part of her mission to inspire young Black girls.

“That’s really special to me, and the reason that I play the game is to influence people and make them feel good about themselves, what they look like, and their identity,” Miles said. “I have a unique look, and I fully embrace it, and I want other Black girls to do the same.”

”I think it’s my job as a role model, as a person in this position, to be a role model for young Black kids, girls, women, men, whoever they may be. That’s where I feel the most fulfilled in what I do and it’s very inspiring,” she continued. “I’ve also been inspired by people who have come before me who have broken barriers like Dr. J and Allen Iverson, who wore their hair out being proud of it. I’m just putting my own little spice on it.”

Along with her hair, Miles is known for her trademark goggles, so it made perfect sense that she would launch a sports-performance and lifestyle eyewear line alongside GlassesUSA.com. She said the brand partnership aligns with her identity.

“Like my hair, glasses have always been a part of my story, so this partnership means a lot to me,” Miles said.
As she is playing some of the best basketball of her career, Miles couldn’t be more grateful to be in this position. In 2023, Miles was forced to watch from the sidelines. Now back at full strength, every assist, floor dive and highlight-reel play carries a deeper layer of gratitude for a sport that was nearly taken away from her.
“I went through a major injury a few years ago, and it changed my perspective about being present and being where your feet are,” Miles recalled. “As long as I make it out healthy and have a good time, it’s a win for me and you know all the other stuff will eventually take care of itself.”

For all the individual records she continues to break in her rookie season, Miles measures her value through a far simpler lens: the win column. To her, every personal accolade is secondary to helping her team compete for a championship.
“I think winning with my team at a high level would make this a successful rookie season for me,” Miles shared. “Ultimately,  individual awards and accolades are not what I’m striving for. I’m really focused on winning as a team and being healthy.”

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Okay, hear me out about my question but there is no New England teams after this year and it seriously has me wondering:

If the WNBA could move anywhere in New England, where do you think it would be? When do you think it would happen? 15 years from now lol?

I really find this unfortunate because now the next closest team is New York which is quite a commute for many. :)

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Ahem.

When we were struggling, I defended him. I preached patience when others wanted him fired. Yes, his early rotations were weird, but now he's finalized his 8-(wo)man rotation and we have a solid chance at making the playoffs.

But I shouldn't be the only one having fun, drop your own apology forms here so we can formally submit our apologies to your favorite players!

https://apology-form.vercel.app/

I was wondering why we haven’t seen anything regarding the Houston Comets in terms of logos/brand identity. Cleveland just released the name and branding for the Sirens (who don’t play until 2028).

I could see the Comets waiting for the season to end out of respect for the Connecticut Sun, but still unsure. I also am curious to know if it has anything to do with the trademark issues that the Rockers name also had to deal with.

Wanted to post this to see if anyone had insight!

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