I am excited that Indiana University is planning to honor my 1973 basketball teammates and me for advancing farther than any IU women's basketball team has advanced in tournament history. We made it to the Final Four that year----my senior season. A banner will be raised in Assembly Hall on January 19, 2014 recognizing our achievement. Forty years of waiting to finally be acknowledged! Were we pioneers in women's basketball? Some say "yes" since we had no scholarships, media guides, locker rooms, newspaper coverage, All-American awards, full-time coaches, or professional contracts. We washed our own uniforms, bought our own shoes, and packed our own sandwiches for the long van ride to play an opponent. We played for the pure joy of the game. My thought is that the women in this great photograph were the REAL pioneers for women's basketball. Smartly dressed with their matching hair bows, caps, bow ties, and tights, they look determined to take on any opponent. No doubt they were looked at oddly by their peers. Why would girls want to sweat and compete? I say...."You go girls!" And thanks for being the true pioneers!
