The Book
Why She Plays: The World of Women’s
Basketball (University
of Nebraska Press 2008) is now available for purchase! Why does she play basketball? Since the enactment
of Title IX in 1972, that question has come to be asked of more girls and women—and
answered in more ways—than ever before. Christine Baker, herself an avid player
and an assistant coach, pursues an answer through the ranks of the sport from youth
basketball to the WNBA.
Baker sets the stage with a quick look at current statistics and trends in women’s
basketball nationwide, noting the profound changes in the last thirty-five years.
A series of exclusive interviews then takes us into the heart and soul of the sport.
Her subjects are players and coaches, from neophytes to stars such as Dawn Staley
and Nancy Lieberman; from legendary coaches like Jody Conradt to the masterminds
of USA Basketball and the 1996 Women’s Dream Team; from Donna Lopiano, the former
CEO of the Women’s Sports Foundation, to tomorrow’s Olympic athletes. A richly detailed,
all-encompassing portrait of the sport, these interviews offer a wealth of insights
into the game, American sports culture, and, indeed, why Baker plays.
“Christine Baker combines two rare traits: a true passion for the game of basketball, tattooed into her soul at an early age; and the ability to describe that passion with the gritty feel of the ball on a sweaty palm and confident assurance of a born writer.”
- Clay Kallam, Editor of Basketball Magazine