WNBA Library

WANT TO LEARN ABOUT THE GAME of basketball and the WNBA? Check out some of these books:

General | Children's | Instructional | Biographical/Autobiographical

GENERAL:

A Celebration: Commemorating the Birth of A League
by Kelly Whiteside
Foreward by Rosie O'Donnell
HarperHorizon: $20
102 pages

A new league has been born. A professional basketball league with a real connection between fans and players. A league of mothers, sisters and daughters. A league for everyone to enjoy: women and men, girls and boys. A league where every game is a celebration. This is the story of the WNBA from first tryouts to the Championship Game to the second season and ultimately to winning the heart of the nation. Join In!

A Century of Women's Basketball: From Frailty to Final Four
by Joan S. Hult (editor) and Marianna Trekel (editor)
American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation: $29
424 pages

A complete history of women's ball up through the late 1980s.

Superstars Of Women's Basketball
by J. Kelly
Chelsea House Pub: $16.95
64 pages

Profiles the lives and basketball careers of Ann Meyers, Nancy Lieberman, Cheryl Miller, Sheryl Swoopes, and Rebecca Lobo.

Venus To The Hoop
by Sara Corbett
Anchor Books: $12.95
352 pages

In the spring of 1995, eleven extraordinary basketball players were chosen to represent the United States in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Around these women swirled the dreams of millions of young girls who played organized basketball, the hopes of the fans who sent the team an average of 125 pounds of fan mail each month. In this inspirational book, Sara Corbett tells their incredible story.

ESPECIALLY FOR KIDS:>

Bounce Back
by Sheryl Swoopes, Greg Brown and Doug Keith
Taylor Publishing Company $14.95
40 pages, ages seven through nine

Using her own life as an example, Sheryl Swoopes illustrates how she's overcome setbacks throughout her life. In words, photos and ilustrations, Swoopes describes her childhood feelings of anger, remembers how her welfare family often had to do without, and talks about the difference between being a good winner and a poor sport.

Fast Breaks: She's Got Game
By Michelle Smith
Scholastic: $4.99
93 pages, ages seven and up

She's Got Game celebrates ten of the top women basketball players in the world. All are stars of the WNBA! Find info on Lisa Leslie, Cynthia Cooper, Rebecca Lobo, Nikki McCray, Tracy Reid, Margo Dydek, Jennifer Gillom, Ticha Penicheiro, Suzie McConnell Serio and Korie Hlede. Also find action photos throughout, plus a special full-color photo insert.

Fast Breaks: WNBA Superstars
by Molly Jackel and Joe Layden
Scholastic: $3.50
80 pages, ages seven and up

Contains the stories of nine of the best women basketball players from around the world -- all superstars of the WNBA!

Inside The WNBA: A Behind-The-Scenes Photo Scrapbook
by Joe Layden and James Preller
Introduction by WNBA President Val Ackerman
Scholastic: $5.99
48 pages

Join In! More than sixty photographs take you inside the WNBA. Hang with your favorite players in the locker room, at basketball clinics and morning workouts -- all the way to the game itself! Some photos will make you laugh. Others will make you feel like you're in the game, diving for loose balls, taking it to the hoop, going up strong. You'll see the stars of the WNBA as basketball players and you'll see them as people.

On The Court With...Lisa Leslie
By Matt Christopher
Little, Brown, & Co.: $4.50
128 pages: ages nine through 12

This kids-oriented biography explores the talents of Los Angeles' Lisa Leslie, a part-time fashion model and high profile WNBA player.

The Best of the Best of Basketball By Rachel Rutledge
Millbrook: $6.95
64 pages, ages nine through 12
This book shows the past and future of women's basketball and presents biographies of eight of the sport's most famous players: Cynthia Cooper, Teresa Edwards, Lisa Leslie, Rebecca Lobo, Nikki McCray, Dawn Staley, Kate Starbird, and Sheryl Swoopes.

WNBA: We Got Next!
By Gail Herman and Edward Heins (illustrator)
Grosset & Dunlap: $3.99
48 pages: ages four through eight

Here's the inside story on the teams and the players of the WNBA. From injuries, team rivalries, and buzzer-beating plays, "WNBA: We Got Next!" captures all the pulse-pounding excitement of the first season through photographs and illustrations.

INSTRUCTIONAL:

Basketball for Women: Becoming A Complete Player
by Nancy Lieberman-Cline and Robin Roberts
Human Kinetics: $16.95
283 pages

If you're serious about playing basketball at a high level, Basketball for Women: Becoming a Complete Player will help you get there. Inside you'll find 111 drills for improving offensive and defensive skills; guidelines and programs for physical conditioning; ways to maximize practice time and game performance; and tips for handling the recruitment process. Detroit Head Coach Nancy Lieberman-Cline teams up with ESPN's Robin Roberts to share her insights and help you develop your skills to reach your fullest potential.

101 Women's Basketball Drills
by Theresa Grentz and Gary Miller
Sagamore Publishing, Inc.: $16.95
128 pages

Made the first-ever full-time women's basketball coach in the United States by Rutgers University in 1974 following an illustrious career as a player at Immaculata College in the early 70's, Grentz knows her stuff. Currently the head coach at University of Illinois, she shares her secrets with hoops hopefuls.

Teresa Weatherspoon's Basketball for Girls
By Teresa Weatherspoon with Kelly Whiteside and Tara Sullivan
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.: $14.95
120 pages, ages eight and up

Great news for the millions of young hoopsters dreaming of someday running with the pros: superstar Teresa Weatherspoon is sharing all her basketball secrets! In this fun and informative book, girls ages eight and up are treated to a comprehensive clinic on passing, dribbling, defending, shooting, and good sportsmanship. With easy-to-follow techniques, lots of instructional photos, and heaping "Spoon"-fuls of inspiration, personal history, and practical advice, Teresa Weatherspoon's Basketball for Girls delivers all the goods. In no time, readers will be tearing up the courts, burning up the nets, and showing the boys how it's really done. Includes photos of Teresa Weatherspoon and an all-girl team in action, demonstrating all the moves.

Winning Basketball For Girls
by Faye Young Miller and Wayne Coffey
Facts on File, Inc.: $16.95
160 pages

In this definitive guide to girl's basketball, respected coach Faye Young Miller covers all facets of the sport, including basic skills, strategy and conditioning. Clear, easy-to-follow instructions and photographs provide young players with all the direction they need to hone their skills and become competitive athletes.

BIOGRAPHICAL/AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL:

Reach For The Summit: The Definite Dozen System For Succeeding At Whatever You Do
by Pat Summit with Sally Jenkins
Broadway Books: $13
288 pages
Weaving stories of her medal-winning trips to the Olympics and her experience as a college coach, Tenessee Vols head coach Pat Summit delivers an uplifting message for anyone with the desire to succeed in sports, business, and life.

Shooting From The Outside: How A Coach and Her Olympic Team Transformed Women's Basketball
by Tara VanDerveer with Joan Ryan
Avon Books: $12.50
259 pages

After a remarkable undefeated barnstorming tour, Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie, Rebecca Lobo and their teammates brought home Olympic gold under the unparalleled leadership of three-time National Coach of the Year, Tara VanDerveer. Shooting From The Outside is VanDerveer's behind-the-scenes chronicle of the excitement, drama and triumph of that unforgettable year, as well as an inspiring account of her own career: her battle against sexual discrimination in a male-dominated field, and her ultimate ascendance to the very top of her profession.

The Home Team: Of Mothers, Daughters & American Champions
by RuthAnn and Rebecca Lobo
Kodansha International: $9.95
180 pages

In alternating chapters, New York's Rebecca Lobo and her mom RuthAnn reflect on the joys and sufferings of growing up female. Graced with a mother's wisdom and a daughter's determination, The Home Team is an inspirational story about the power of two courageous women and their victories on and off the court.