Someone last week on social media posted asking about interest in a basketball book club. We quickly suggested The W: A History of the WNBA (Abrams Press), released Sept. 22 by journalist Tamryn Spruill, as a perfect first pick.
Spruill has covered the W since 2014. She painstakingly assembled “the full thrilling story” of America’s longest-running pro women’s basketball league, now in its 30th season. “This is a three-decade tale of tenacious athletes, devoted fans, and a vibrant, diverse league that struggled for years to find a firm footing in the wider sports culture,” says the book’s press release.
The author divides The W into four quarters, each chapter offering what the press release calls “a comprehensive account … of the women whose drive, on and off the court, built the W.” The story runs from the league’s beginnings in the late 1990s, after the 1996 Atlanta Olympics served as a pilot for the U.S. women’s basketball team’s gold-medal run and showed the world that women’s pro hoops could succeed in this country, up through the present day, all seen through the eyes of a Black female journalist.
“I would say the most difficult quarters and parts were the years that the league was on TV the least and in the media the least, in the early 2000s,” said Spruill in an MSR interview before the book launch earlier this month. “Those were the hardest because the existing reporting wasn’t there as a basis. The history was incomplete and not provided in any context because the league wasn’t allowed until very recently to live in the context of mainstream society.”
After reading her book, we can say with certainty that Spruill accomplished her intent of setting the record straight.
“It was important for me to say this history has always been here, even though it’s been marginalized, and to provide that context and continuity of just everyday life in America during the years that it existed, which influenced the league’s ability to thrive,” Spruill said. She covers women’s basketball on issues of gender, race and sexuality, whether as editor in chief for Swish Appeal or writing for The New York Times, SLAM, The Athletic and Harper’s Bazaar, among others. She’s also an adjunct professor teaching media history, world literature and creative writing.
The WNBA, throughout its 30 years, has been a majority Black women’s league, and perhaps the most diverse pro league as well, which may help explain why it has never been fully seen as a major league, but rather as a niche sport, by too many fans and media alike. “The WNBA isn’t made up of just queens, but princesses and princes, Barbies and kings, too,” Spruill wrote in her introduction.
“I started reporting on the league in 2014,” Spruill pointed out, “and so that whole period was probably the easiest to write. By then I’d laid such a groundwork in the book that a lot of deeper themes did not have to be retread. It was just speedier reporting on what already happened.”
As a longtime women’s sports reporter, including of the WNBA since its inception, and a lover of sports history, The W is a must-read for like-minded readers and newcomers alike.
“I know your history with the league and the (Minnesota) Lynx. You’ve provided invaluable insight on the disparities in how the WNBA is treated versus the NBA. It really truly means so much to me that somebody who’s been in the game as long as you have,” Spruill said. “Thank you so much for reading it.”
Unrivaled coming to Minneapolis in January
The Unrivaled 3-on-3 league is coming to Minneapolis next Jan. 24 as part of its monthlong, cross-country bus tour in its third season.
A number of Lynx players have signed to play in Unrivaled, including rookie guard Olivia Miles; Kayla McBride, who plans to return after taking last season off; veteran Courtney Williams, who has played in every season; and co-founder Napheesa Collier, who missed last season due to injury.
“We already know the fans are amazing, so to be able to play in my home city is just amazing,” Collier said at last week’s announcement.
Minneapolis now joins Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Detroit on the January 2027 tour, with three more stops to be announced in October.
Charles Hallman welcomes reader responses at challman@spokesman-recorder.com.
Copyright © Charles Hallman