First of two parts
Women’s basketball has a rich history, more than 130 years, and continues to evolve. “Court Queens” (Black Dog and Leventhal Publishers) is a new picture book co-authored by Jordan Robinson and Emma Baccellieri, a “Sports Illustrated” staff writer since 2018.
Robinson is a freelance journalist, host, analyst, content creator, play-by-play announcer, and reporter based in Los Angeles. She successfully combined her passion for basketball and journalism after college and has worked as a host for the Big Ten Network, Women’s Sports Network, the West Coast Conference, and FIBA. She also once hosted “She’s Got Next with Jordan Robinson,” the first women’s sports radio show on Audacy.
“Court Queens” is “a definitive, first-of-its-kind, richly photographic celebration of women’s basketball,” according to its press release. It was released March 17, and I couldn’t put it down after receiving my copy in the mail.
MSR recently spoke with Robinson.
“Basketball brings me joy, especially women’s basketball,” she said during a Zoom call. “So being able to tell the stories of women whose stories aren’t often told, whose names aren’t often mentioned alongside some of the greats, that brought me a lot of joy.”
The two authors organized “Court Queens” in chronological order. Robinson and Baccellieri made sure Black women were prominently featured for their roles in the growth of women’s basketball from its beginnings to today.
Ora Washington (1898–1971) is a prime example, featured on pages 10–15.
“I had heard her name, but I learned so much,” Robinson recalled of Washington, who excelled in both basketball and tennis. She was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009 and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018, and was nicknamed “Queen of the Courts” for her dominance in both sports.
“She had such a strong tennis background and was so dominant in tennis before finding basketball, that was super fascinating,” Robinson continued. Washington is just one of countless examples where “Black women and Black players carved out something that was not there,” the author added.
Before the WNBA, there was the Women’s Basketball League, the first U.S. women’s pro basketball league (1978–1981). “The WBL was probably one of my favorite things I wrote about in this book,” Robinson admitted. “I got to sit down with three players who had played in it, and hearing their stories, not knowing they were pioneers and trailblazers, they didn’t set out to be that.”
Chronicling the Minnesota Lynx and their nearly decade-long championship run is a featured chapter in “Court Queens” (pages 166–174).
“My favorite thing about the Minnesota Lynx champions was putting into perspective how hard that is to do, to go to the Finals that many times,” she said, referring to their six appearances and four titles (2011, 2013, 2015, 2017). “To have that level of excellence…
“When you look back at that roster… Maya Moore, Seimone Augustus, Lindsay Whalen, Rebekkah Brunson, Sylvia Fowles, all on one team. The rivalry with the Los Angeles Sparks, with Nneka Ogwumike and Candace Parker in their prime, what a fun time in the league.”
“It was important to convey that duality of the Lynx, how dominant they were on the court, and how they used that platform to shine a light on more important issues,” Robinson added.
“Court Queens” is a must-read. Is there a “Court Queens 2″ in the future? A podcast, perhaps?
“The idea of turning this book into a podcast is my dream project,” Robinson said. “So I am working on it because I love podcasting.
“There are so many Black women throughout women’s basketball history… I loved writing it. I’m so happy you loved reading it, and I hope everybody loves it,” she concluded.
Charles Hallman welcomes reader responses at challman@spokesman-recorder.com.