Back in 1936, long before the WNBA (Womens National Basketball Association) was born women were playing basketball, they started playing in college at Smith College in 1892, for physical education. C. M. Olson of Cassville Missouri had a traveling mens team (no NBA then either), who went from town to town and played local teams - some semipro, a few professional teams. Mr. Olsons' wife ran a beauty shop, but she played pickup games with other women after work. Mrs. Olson formed a group to entertain called, originally, the Cassville Red Heads and they sort of caught on. All women who played had to have red hair, either natural or dyed - thus the name.
Women in the WNBA play 40 games in the four month season and travel by airplane. The All American Redheads played 200 games in a seven-month tour. At that time women played six-on-six, half-court games; not the Red Heads they played full court five women at a time against men.
Playing against men, plus putting on a half-time show and traveling 20,000 miles a year by car; and to top it off washing their own uniforms in the bathtub at the hotel.
The teams of All American Red Heads played before a lot of people including Bob Hope and Bing Crosby. They moved up to limousines in the early 1960s.
At the onset of World War Two the team was in the Philippines and had to be evacuated at night by the army.
Most of the women played for two years after trying out and making the team, so the induction will represent a lot of gals, or women. They are most deserving, in my opinion. The teams spanned a time period of 1936 to 1986; times changed from using henna to change hair color to Miss Clairol Flame 33.
Let us all offer our congratulations and thanks to these fine women.
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| The 1937-38 Team, and their car. |
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| The "hand washed" uniform |
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| A poster for the 1958-59 season posted for sale at mearsonlineauction.com |
that is my mom wow what a awesome thing to be a part of love you retha carter (rusty) goodson you are a sports icon
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