Women's basketball started in the late 19th century, and over the past century has developed into a well-established collegiate, professional and Olympic sport. In the early years, women athletes had to battle contemporary social concerns about feminine behavior and sports, and were limited by the rules and clothing associated with women's sport.
Inception
Women's basketball started in 1892, according to the Women's Basketball Museum. This was only one year after Dr. James Naismith invented men's basketball at the Springfield, Massachusetts YMCA Training School. A physical education teacher, Senda Berenson, adapted basketball for use with her female students at the nearby Smith College for Girls. Berenson's primary purpose in adapting the game for women to play was so that her students could improve their levels of physical fitness.
Development
Women's basketball became popular and quickly was established at other colleges in the U.S. The first intercollegiate women's basketball game was played in the spring of 1896, as the sport had become established at several women's colleges. The sport continued to gain popularity, with the rules of women's basketball differing slightly from those used in the men's sport. According to Sally Jenkins, writing at the WNBA website, women did not govern their own basketball games until 1924, and until 1938 women's basketball was still played on a three-section court rather than the two-section court now used. Women's basketball was admitted to the Olympic games in 1978.
Social Concerns
In the late 19th century, the start of women's basketball caused quite a social uproar. At the time, it was believed that women were too selfish to succeed in team sports as men could. At early basketball games, only women spectators were allowed -- it was feared that men might disrupt the games or see women athletes in a socially unacceptable fashion. Women's clothing of the day was designed to cover all parts of the body apart from the head, neck and hands. The early women's basketball teams played in full-length dresses, and suffered associated trips and falls. In 1896 bloomers were introduced as a shorter, more comfortable clothing alternative for women athletes.
Rules
Berenson published the first set of rules for women's basketball in 1901, and these were adapted from the original men's basketball rules laid out by Naismith. Berenson made alterations to Naismith's rules in an attempt to emphasize cooperation and teamwork by athletes, instead of competition between teammates. In addition, Berenson broke the basketball court into three zones rather than two, with three players per team on each third of the court. Individual players were limited to holding the ball for a maximum of three seconds, and dribbling the ball three times before a pass must be made. Initially, a two-handed throw was considered a foul, with a one-handed throw being considered more elegant for women athletes. In keeping with contemporary views regarding female behavior, another physical education teacher -- Agnes Wayman -- modified the rules for women's basketball to ban players from chewing gum, using slang, lying or sitting on the floor, or calling each other by family names.
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