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Inaugural Ballers: The True Story of the First US Women's Olympic Basketball Team
From the New York Times bestselling author of Strong Inside comes the inspirational true story of the birth of women’s Olympic basketball at the 1976 Summer Games and the ragtag team that put US women’s basketball on the map. Perfect for fans of Steve Sheinkin and Daniel James Brown.
A League of Their Own meets Miracle in the inspirational true story of the first US Women’s Olympic Basketball team and their unlikely rise to the top.
Twenty years before women’s soccer became an Olympic sport and two decades before the formation of the WNBA, the ’76 US women’s basketball team laid the foundation for the incredible rise of women’s sports in America at the youth, collegiate, Olympic, and professional levels.
Though they were unknowns from small schools such as Delta State, the University of Tennessee at Martin and John F. Kennedy College of Wahoo, Nebraska, at the time of the ’76 Olympics, the American team included a roster of players who would go on to become some of the most legendary figures in the history of basketball. From Pat Head, Nancy Lieberman, Ann Meyers, Lusia Harris, coach Billie Moore, and beyond—these women took on the world and proved everyone wrong.
Packed with black-and-white photos and thoroughly researched details about the beginnings of US women’s basketball, Inaugural Ballers is the fascinating story of the women who paved the way for girls everywhere.
A League of Their Own meets Miracle in the inspirational true story of the first US Women’s Olympic Basketball team and their unlikely rise to the top.
Twenty years before women’s soccer became an Olympic sport and two decades before the formation of the WNBA, the ’76 US women’s basketball team laid the foundation for the incredible rise of women’s sports in America at the youth, collegiate, Olympic, and professional levels.
Though they were unknowns from small schools such as Delta State, the University of Tennessee at Martin and John F. Kennedy College of Wahoo, Nebraska, at the time of the ’76 Olympics, the American team included a roster of players who would go on to become some of the most legendary figures in the history of basketball. From Pat Head, Nancy Lieberman, Ann Meyers, Lusia Harris, coach Billie Moore, and beyond—these women took on the world and proved everyone wrong.
Packed with black-and-white photos and thoroughly researched details about the beginnings of US women’s basketball, Inaugural Ballers is the fascinating story of the women who paved the way for girls everywhere.
352 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 13, 2022
11 people are currently reading
184 people want to read
About the author
Andrew Maraniss
22 books54 followersAndrew Maraniss is the New York Times bestselling author of STRONG INSIDE, a biography of Perry Wallace, the first African American basketball player in the SEC. The original, adult edition of the book received the Lillian Smith Book Award and the RFK Book Awards' Special Recognition Prize, while the Middle Grade adaptation was named one of the Top Biographies and Top Sports Books for Youth by the American Library Association. Andrew's next book (Nov. 2019) GAMES OF DECEPTION, is the true story of the first U.S. Olympic basketball team, at the 1936 Olympics in Nazi Germany. Andrew is a contributor to ESPN's race and sports website, TheUndefeated.com, and is a Visiting Author at Vanderbilt University Athletics. He lives in Brentwood, Tenn., with his wife and two young children. Follow him on Twitter @trublu24.
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September 15, 2022
TITLE: Inaugural Ballers: The True Story of the First US Women's Olympic Basketball Team
AUTHOR: Andrew Maraniss
PUB DATE: 09.13.2022 Now Available
Inspiration
Emotional
Underdog story
There is nothing more I love than reading true stories about an underdog team that rises up to the challenge. Maraniss writes a well researched biography about the first U.S. women's Olympic basketball team. In Inaugural Ballers, Maraniss chronicle’s the 1976 US National Women’s Basketball team’s triumph in the Montreal Olympics, and it was amazing!
AUTHOR: Andrew Maraniss
PUB DATE: 09.13.2022 Now Available
Inspiration
Emotional
Underdog story
There is nothing more I love than reading true stories about an underdog team that rises up to the challenge. Maraniss writes a well researched biography about the first U.S. women's Olympic basketball team. In Inaugural Ballers, Maraniss chronicle’s the 1976 US National Women’s Basketball team’s triumph in the Montreal Olympics, and it was amazing!
April 3, 2025
This was a pleasant surprise. Using the story of the 1976 U.S. women's Olympic basketball team as its primary focus, the author writes a concise, compelling history of the sport and many of the women who helped forge what it is today. There are a number of very vivid personalities here, and they are given their due recognition. I know this book is supposedly aimed at the young adult market, but it is a marvelous history for anyone. The author portrays that history honestly and does not short on the nastier moments facing women in the sport. Be sure to read the Notes section at the end, which is highly informative.
March 22, 2023
As a current women’s basketball player I am extremely grateful for this story to be told and shared to show the fight and process for women to get where we are today especially in the sports world. It was a very inspiring book and made me grateful for every woman who has fought for our right to play the game I love.
October 24, 2022
Thorough and intersectional book about not just the first US women’s Olympic basketball team, but of women’s sports in general. Highly recommend
March 12, 2025
A great history covering feminism, racism, homophobia, and both national and international politics, all centered around women's basketball. I would highly recommend for all women's sports fans.
November 12, 2022
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
If you have read any of Maraniss' work like Strong Inside or Singled Out, you know that his books are submersive experiences where we get to know so many historical figures in a swirl of well explained current events. I felt almost as if I were a young basketball player myself, preparing along with Nancy Lieberman and Gail Marquis to go to the 1976 Montreal Summer Olympics, the first where there was a competition for women's basketball. Since the women were all just a few years older than I am, I know well the social conditions that existed at the time, and Maraniss explains those well for younger readers who will be surprised at how few girls and women played sports, and at how little funding and support girls' sports had. Even though my mother played basketball in high school (half court, of course), she never told me back int he 1970s that playing sports was a feminist act. If she had, I would have taken a lot more interest in my 5th grade softball team!
One of the more interesting parts of the lead up to the women's Olympic team is Maraniss' sensitive exploration of how women in sports were percieved in the 1960s and before. "The casual sexism of the day was relentless in its ubiquity." I was definitely in the demographic that was told we could never beat a boy at a game, and that our purpose (as defined by none other than writer Paul Gallico in 1936) was to "look beautiful"! In the same way that my students are shocked that I wore skirts to school every day, they will be shocked that the members of the team had to work so hard just to be able to play basketball at all.
This reminded me quite a bit of Swaby's Mighty Moe in the way it followed not only the players, but also the coaches, through their childhoods and up to the tryouts for the team and the Olympics themselves, from which the US very nearly pulled out due to issues with China and Taiwan. There are a number of pictures, and I found myself making bookmark after bookmark about different people (like Bunny Sandler, who worked on Title IX, or the absolutely incomparable Billie Jean King) and events. One excellent reason to buy this book is that it is such a great starting point for history research. Why isn't there a biography of Luisa Harris, the only woman ever drafted in the NBA? Or one about Coach Mildred Barnes, who jogged in the 1940s? I have a long list of people whom I can only hope have written memoirs, since I want to know so much more about their stories.
Maraniss does an exceptional job at describing the sports aspect of this, but also delivers the information about the feminist perspective in an up-to-the-minute way, clearly understanding the divisions between the different generations of feminism, and briefly mentioning some of the problems with different stages of the movement.
This book is the perfect choice for young women players who don't know how good they have it, for young men who probably wouldn't care quite so much if a girl was on their team, and for those of us who remember just how far away the summer of 1976 is. I loved everything about this book, from the Harlem Globetrotters-esque cover (the television cartoon show version, not the exhibition team, although thinking about either one has me humming "Sweet Georgia Brown" to myself for days) to the nail biting Olympic competition to the back stories of the players. There's even an excellent afterword that talks about the effects of that team, and how the woman who played on it have viewed the progress women have made in sports since.
We need to remember the past, because we live during a time when we can't take for granted that we will keep the rights that our forebearers fought so hard to gain.
If you have read any of Maraniss' work like Strong Inside or Singled Out, you know that his books are submersive experiences where we get to know so many historical figures in a swirl of well explained current events. I felt almost as if I were a young basketball player myself, preparing along with Nancy Lieberman and Gail Marquis to go to the 1976 Montreal Summer Olympics, the first where there was a competition for women's basketball. Since the women were all just a few years older than I am, I know well the social conditions that existed at the time, and Maraniss explains those well for younger readers who will be surprised at how few girls and women played sports, and at how little funding and support girls' sports had. Even though my mother played basketball in high school (half court, of course), she never told me back int he 1970s that playing sports was a feminist act. If she had, I would have taken a lot more interest in my 5th grade softball team!
One of the more interesting parts of the lead up to the women's Olympic team is Maraniss' sensitive exploration of how women in sports were percieved in the 1960s and before. "The casual sexism of the day was relentless in its ubiquity." I was definitely in the demographic that was told we could never beat a boy at a game, and that our purpose (as defined by none other than writer Paul Gallico in 1936) was to "look beautiful"! In the same way that my students are shocked that I wore skirts to school every day, they will be shocked that the members of the team had to work so hard just to be able to play basketball at all.
This reminded me quite a bit of Swaby's Mighty Moe in the way it followed not only the players, but also the coaches, through their childhoods and up to the tryouts for the team and the Olympics themselves, from which the US very nearly pulled out due to issues with China and Taiwan. There are a number of pictures, and I found myself making bookmark after bookmark about different people (like Bunny Sandler, who worked on Title IX, or the absolutely incomparable Billie Jean King) and events. One excellent reason to buy this book is that it is such a great starting point for history research. Why isn't there a biography of Luisa Harris, the only woman ever drafted in the NBA? Or one about Coach Mildred Barnes, who jogged in the 1940s? I have a long list of people whom I can only hope have written memoirs, since I want to know so much more about their stories.
Maraniss does an exceptional job at describing the sports aspect of this, but also delivers the information about the feminist perspective in an up-to-the-minute way, clearly understanding the divisions between the different generations of feminism, and briefly mentioning some of the problems with different stages of the movement.
This book is the perfect choice for young women players who don't know how good they have it, for young men who probably wouldn't care quite so much if a girl was on their team, and for those of us who remember just how far away the summer of 1976 is. I loved everything about this book, from the Harlem Globetrotters-esque cover (the television cartoon show version, not the exhibition team, although thinking about either one has me humming "Sweet Georgia Brown" to myself for days) to the nail biting Olympic competition to the back stories of the players. There's even an excellent afterword that talks about the effects of that team, and how the woman who played on it have viewed the progress women have made in sports since.
We need to remember the past, because we live during a time when we can't take for granted that we will keep the rights that our forebearers fought so hard to gain.
May 14, 2023
She was a Visionary
Andrew Maraniss writes about the forgotten history of women’s basketball, focusing on what lead up to the first Woman’s Olympics in 1976. This book is a brief history of the creation of basketball, and how women have been a part of this sport from the beginning. Andrew Maraniss brings together stories of women who fought for the inclusion of women in sports, and how basketball helped women prove they could play sports. All leading to the Olympics recognizing women’s basketball as a competitive sport. Filled with wonderful black-and-white pictures of the events in the book.
Andrew Maraniss jumps around through eras, sometimes in confusing leaps, highlighting some of the important milestones that finally allowed women to freely compete in basketball. This is not just a book about the history of women’s basketball, but a history of feminism. A history of women from 1891 to 1976, which is a lot to cover in one book. From winning the vote, to the birth of feminism, to funding sports, to foreign politics. All intermixed with the introductions of some of the key players of the ’76 US women’s basketball team. Though briefly touched on, the difficult political climates during these times show the real struggle that women overcame to play the sport they loved.
In this book there are heavy introductions to feminism, gender disparity, racism, global poverty, gender identity, and mentions of homophobia. Often interjecting such footnotes after each chapter as a reminder that despite impressive wins, they are not inclusive to every social issue of the time. Again, these are points in history and current social issues that should be explored further outside the brief summaries in this book.
The final lead up to forming of the US women’s Olympic team is a grueling test of endurance and commitment from all the basketball players who were chosen. There is no doubt that each of them worked their hardest to participate and win. Overall, there are a lot of heavy issues that the reader must interpret for themselves, and hopefully explore further.
Andrew Maraniss writes about the forgotten history of women’s basketball, focusing on what lead up to the first Woman’s Olympics in 1976. This book is a brief history of the creation of basketball, and how women have been a part of this sport from the beginning. Andrew Maraniss brings together stories of women who fought for the inclusion of women in sports, and how basketball helped women prove they could play sports. All leading to the Olympics recognizing women’s basketball as a competitive sport. Filled with wonderful black-and-white pictures of the events in the book.
Andrew Maraniss jumps around through eras, sometimes in confusing leaps, highlighting some of the important milestones that finally allowed women to freely compete in basketball. This is not just a book about the history of women’s basketball, but a history of feminism. A history of women from 1891 to 1976, which is a lot to cover in one book. From winning the vote, to the birth of feminism, to funding sports, to foreign politics. All intermixed with the introductions of some of the key players of the ’76 US women’s basketball team. Though briefly touched on, the difficult political climates during these times show the real struggle that women overcame to play the sport they loved.
In this book there are heavy introductions to feminism, gender disparity, racism, global poverty, gender identity, and mentions of homophobia. Often interjecting such footnotes after each chapter as a reminder that despite impressive wins, they are not inclusive to every social issue of the time. Again, these are points in history and current social issues that should be explored further outside the brief summaries in this book.
The final lead up to forming of the US women’s Olympic team is a grueling test of endurance and commitment from all the basketball players who were chosen. There is no doubt that each of them worked their hardest to participate and win. Overall, there are a lot of heavy issues that the reader must interpret for themselves, and hopefully explore further.
January 7, 2023
It's not just the story of the first US women's Olympic basketball team, it's a story of women finding their place in sports, the rise of women's collegiate athletics, the derision with which female athletes were treated, and the arrival of US women's basketball on the international scene. Spoiler alert: the women didn't take gold in 1976, but their medal was no less meaningful.
As a former player, I was familiar with some of the players and coaches from the world championship and Olympic teams. I'm familiar with Wayland Baptist and its place in basketball history. At the same time, many of these women were completely unknown to me.
Filled with the history of the game and the stories of so many of the players and coaches who impacted the game, this book was a joy to read. Seeing the impact of the team's rise and performance on the Olympic stage was fantastic, but even more awe-inspiring were the efforts of the women who worked so hard to bring recognition and respect to the game. Even the stories of the women ultimately not selected to the 1976 team were pivotal to the narrative.
I particularly appreciate Maraniss's conclusion that all female athletes benefitted from the rise and success of the 1976 Olympic basketball team. He points to the success of women's soccer in particular, but the "Inaugural Ballers" brought opportunities to girls that were barely dreamed of 50 years ago. The opportunities my generation had just 10 years later ... my teammates and I played high school ball without a second thought and enjoyed continuing the sport in college (in almost all instances with scholarship money included). While our mothers played 6-man half-court ball, events that took place only a decade before might as well have been in the Middle Ages.
This book reminded me of how much we take for granted today and how grateful I am for the women who trailblazed in sports.
As a former player, I was familiar with some of the players and coaches from the world championship and Olympic teams. I'm familiar with Wayland Baptist and its place in basketball history. At the same time, many of these women were completely unknown to me.
Filled with the history of the game and the stories of so many of the players and coaches who impacted the game, this book was a joy to read. Seeing the impact of the team's rise and performance on the Olympic stage was fantastic, but even more awe-inspiring were the efforts of the women who worked so hard to bring recognition and respect to the game. Even the stories of the women ultimately not selected to the 1976 team were pivotal to the narrative.
I particularly appreciate Maraniss's conclusion that all female athletes benefitted from the rise and success of the 1976 Olympic basketball team. He points to the success of women's soccer in particular, but the "Inaugural Ballers" brought opportunities to girls that were barely dreamed of 50 years ago. The opportunities my generation had just 10 years later ... my teammates and I played high school ball without a second thought and enjoyed continuing the sport in college (in almost all instances with scholarship money included). While our mothers played 6-man half-court ball, events that took place only a decade before might as well have been in the Middle Ages.
This book reminded me of how much we take for granted today and how grateful I am for the women who trailblazed in sports.
September 13, 2022
“Win this game and it will change women’s sports in this country for the next twenty-five years.” -Billie Moore, 1976 Olympic Women’s Basketball Team Head Coach
As a former collegiate basketball player and coach, basketball has always been a part of my life. While I do know the stories of those that have played the game before me, I haven't done any reading on the 1976 Olympic Women's Basketball Team that won silver.
Inaugural Ballers tells these women's story. This book is jam-packed with interesting tidbits about the history of women’s basketball. With lots of included photos, the book has short, digestible chapters, making it a quick read. It was inspiring to read about all these trailblazing women and I enjoyed how the author paralleled the women's liberation movement of the 70s with the rise of the sport of women's basketball on a national stage.
I really enjoyed reading about one of my idols, Pat Summit and her start on this team. It was also fun to learn about the team training in Warrensburg, MO, because there was essentially nothing to do there (not much has changed). I truly appreciated how the author didn't glaze over the current glaring inequalities in sports today, especially at the national level with the 2021 NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments.
With my historian background, I would have loved the book to have a more linear approach to the history of the chapters, instead of jumping around. But as always when I read nonfiction, there were things that were glazed over that I wish were gone into more in depth and others that could have been shortened. I loved that the story of the Fort Shaw School team at the 1904 World's Fair was included, but wanted more about their background and accomplishments. There's an amazing two-part Stuff You Missed History podcast on this topic that you should check out.
As a former collegiate basketball player and coach, basketball has always been a part of my life. While I do know the stories of those that have played the game before me, I haven't done any reading on the 1976 Olympic Women's Basketball Team that won silver.
Inaugural Ballers tells these women's story. This book is jam-packed with interesting tidbits about the history of women’s basketball. With lots of included photos, the book has short, digestible chapters, making it a quick read. It was inspiring to read about all these trailblazing women and I enjoyed how the author paralleled the women's liberation movement of the 70s with the rise of the sport of women's basketball on a national stage.
I really enjoyed reading about one of my idols, Pat Summit and her start on this team. It was also fun to learn about the team training in Warrensburg, MO, because there was essentially nothing to do there (not much has changed). I truly appreciated how the author didn't glaze over the current glaring inequalities in sports today, especially at the national level with the 2021 NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments.
With my historian background, I would have loved the book to have a more linear approach to the history of the chapters, instead of jumping around. But as always when I read nonfiction, there were things that were glazed over that I wish were gone into more in depth and others that could have been shortened. I loved that the story of the Fort Shaw School team at the 1904 World's Fair was included, but wanted more about their background and accomplishments. There's an amazing two-part Stuff You Missed History podcast on this topic that you should check out.
July 2, 2023
The author does a fabulous job of bringing international issues in to the story of women’s equality struggle in the US. For example: P. 112: “The problems of the American women appeared inconsequential compared to the life and death concerns of their global counterparts at the UN gathering. “To those who have lived on scraps of food from the city dump,” said a Colombian delegate, “talk about sexism and demands for equal pay for equal work, seem meaningless.” An Indian representative continued the theme. “We of the poorer developing nations are not interested in the psychological liberation of western women,” she said. “If you American ladies paid more attention to the imperialistic economic policies of your government, women throughout the world would not have to worry about such unfashionable problems as starvation and homelessness.”
The attacks came largely as a surprise to the American delegates, who considered their work for equal pay and equal rights to be revolutionary and who had centered their own concerns over the plight of poor women around the world.”
Rating: pg: mild profanity, no sex (mention of “getting action” at Montreal games, no details)
Recommend: basketball players interested in the history of the game, make or female. Other generally historically curious readers. Jh and up.
I enjoyed this book and was surprised at my emotional response to the appreciation these women found from their hometowns when they returned from their history-making win.
My only complaint is the author’s foray into politics. He crosses from historical observation to cultural analysis at a few points. Otherwise, an excellent book.
The attacks came largely as a surprise to the American delegates, who considered their work for equal pay and equal rights to be revolutionary and who had centered their own concerns over the plight of poor women around the world.”
Rating: pg: mild profanity, no sex (mention of “getting action” at Montreal games, no details)
Recommend: basketball players interested in the history of the game, make or female. Other generally historically curious readers. Jh and up.
I enjoyed this book and was surprised at my emotional response to the appreciation these women found from their hometowns when they returned from their history-making win.
My only complaint is the author’s foray into politics. He crosses from historical observation to cultural analysis at a few points. Otherwise, an excellent book.
May 14, 2023
A thorough look at the creation of the first US women's Olympic basketball team and the backstories of the various players and coaches.
I appreciate that the author makes a point to mention racist things done to players of color at this time (e.g. being excluded from team meals, etc.) that were sadly common at that time but obviously despicable today. The author also mentions people who stood up against the racism (e.g. a coach who states the team will go elsewhere for a meal if the restaurant won't serve everyone) and includes the racist actions of famous athletes who forever tarnished their legacy by assaulting their black teammates. The author also writes about the disgusting "gender exams" many of the players had to undergo to ascertain that they were actually female and the humiliating experience of having to urinate under supervision for random drug tests.
This is a very detailed well-researched book but I had trouble keeping all of the stories of the different players and coaches straight so I'm not sure how much my teenage students would stick with this book. Fans of women's basketball and/or the Olympics would probably be the best audience for this book.
Possible #52BookClubChallenge book? There are a few mentions of the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia.
I appreciate that the author makes a point to mention racist things done to players of color at this time (e.g. being excluded from team meals, etc.) that were sadly common at that time but obviously despicable today. The author also mentions people who stood up against the racism (e.g. a coach who states the team will go elsewhere for a meal if the restaurant won't serve everyone) and includes the racist actions of famous athletes who forever tarnished their legacy by assaulting their black teammates. The author also writes about the disgusting "gender exams" many of the players had to undergo to ascertain that they were actually female and the humiliating experience of having to urinate under supervision for random drug tests.
This is a very detailed well-researched book but I had trouble keeping all of the stories of the different players and coaches straight so I'm not sure how much my teenage students would stick with this book. Fans of women's basketball and/or the Olympics would probably be the best audience for this book.
Possible #52BookClubChallenge book? There are a few mentions of the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia.
June 7, 2024
I'm not particularly interested in sports, so it's hard to say I "really liked" this book (4 stars), but considering my lack of interest in sports, the fact that I found this book so interesting means it deserves those 4 stars. And I found it interesting because it's as much about history as sports. I never was interested in sports as a girl either, so I was not aware of the discrimination against girls/women in sports when I was growing up. Unlike some schools mentioned in the book, my elementary school had boys and girls together for gym class doing all the same activities. And when I got to middle school and it was separate, I was glad because I liked field hockey better than soccer. It never occurred to me that my more athletic-minded female classmates didn't have as many opportunities as the boys. (Not that I really would have cared - to me school was all about academics, and phys ed was an unfortunate requirement to be endured.) So it was fascinating to learn about what was going on in the larger world that I was unaware of. Perhaps my friend Liz who tried to teach me basketball in 1978, the summer before my senior year in high school, had been influenced by the women's BB in the 1976 Olympics. To me it was just a sport that I'd been forced to try to play since I was in elementary school and never got any good at.
November 7, 2023
The year is 1976. Women's Basketball is part of the Summer Olympics for the first time ever. The US women's basketball team won't bring home gold but if they play their cards right they could still see themselves on that podium.
What's even more amazing is the journey the team took to get there.
Nationwide tryouts attracted known athletes and aspiring amateurs, college stars, and women who never had a chance to play on an international stage. Hardscrabble matches made it unclear if the team could even qualify for the Olympics and, when they did, the coaches realized that the US Olympic committee had so little faith in them that they hadn't allotted beds for them at the Olympic pavillion.
In Canada things aren't much better with the sixteen-woman team crammed into a two room flat filled with bunk beds and one bathroom for them to share.
Everyone knew that the 1972 passage of Title IX would change everything when it came to collegiate sports for women. Four years later, the US Women's Basketball team has a chance to prove just how much. Getting to the Olympics is already going to change the landscape of women's sports for years to come. But only one team will ever be the first in Inaugural Ballers: The True Story of the First US Women's Olympic Basketball Team by Andrew Maraniss (2022).
Maraniss takes a holistic approach to this story offering backgroun on the sport and women's role in basketball from its inception in Canada right up to the 1976 Olympics alongside chapters detailing the major players in the 1976 and the team's journey to the Olympics. With a roster filled with women who go on to leave a lasting impact on basketball as both players and coaches, basketball fans will recognize many of the key figures including Billie Moore, Lusia Harris, Pat Head and so many more.
Inaugural Ballers does assume a basic knowledge of basketball for readers so some descriptions of game play might go over the heads of readers not well-versed in the game. That said, even with little to no understanding of basketball or the 1976 Olympics, Maraniss does an excellent job laying out the stakes for the Olympic game and also detailing the team's lasting legacy on women's sports to follow. Talking about the 1976 Olympics also goes hand in hand with detailing the impact of Title IX on school and collegiate athletics programs and the disparity the women's team faced while being at the literal top of their game--feminist concerns that Maraniss unpacks throughout the story without ever bogging down the narrative.
Inaugural Ballers: The True Story of the First US Women's Olympic Basketball Team is the best kind of narrative non-fiction filled with high stakes, memorable characters, and team you have to cheer on.
Possible Pairings: Courage to Soar by Simone Biles, No Stopping Us Now by Lucy Jane Bledsoe, Let Me Play by Karen Blumenthal, Gender Inequality in Sports by Kirstin Cronn-Mills, My Shot by Elena Delle Donne, Attucks! by Phillip M. Hoose, The Matchless Six by Ron Hotchkiss, One Life by Megan Rapinoe, Game Changers by Molly Schiot, Undefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team by Steve Sheinkin, Hoops by Matt Tavares, Play Like a Girl by Misty Wilson and David Wilson
What's even more amazing is the journey the team took to get there.
Nationwide tryouts attracted known athletes and aspiring amateurs, college stars, and women who never had a chance to play on an international stage. Hardscrabble matches made it unclear if the team could even qualify for the Olympics and, when they did, the coaches realized that the US Olympic committee had so little faith in them that they hadn't allotted beds for them at the Olympic pavillion.
In Canada things aren't much better with the sixteen-woman team crammed into a two room flat filled with bunk beds and one bathroom for them to share.
Everyone knew that the 1972 passage of Title IX would change everything when it came to collegiate sports for women. Four years later, the US Women's Basketball team has a chance to prove just how much. Getting to the Olympics is already going to change the landscape of women's sports for years to come. But only one team will ever be the first in Inaugural Ballers: The True Story of the First US Women's Olympic Basketball Team by Andrew Maraniss (2022).
Maraniss takes a holistic approach to this story offering backgroun on the sport and women's role in basketball from its inception in Canada right up to the 1976 Olympics alongside chapters detailing the major players in the 1976 and the team's journey to the Olympics. With a roster filled with women who go on to leave a lasting impact on basketball as both players and coaches, basketball fans will recognize many of the key figures including Billie Moore, Lusia Harris, Pat Head and so many more.
Inaugural Ballers does assume a basic knowledge of basketball for readers so some descriptions of game play might go over the heads of readers not well-versed in the game. That said, even with little to no understanding of basketball or the 1976 Olympics, Maraniss does an excellent job laying out the stakes for the Olympic game and also detailing the team's lasting legacy on women's sports to follow. Talking about the 1976 Olympics also goes hand in hand with detailing the impact of Title IX on school and collegiate athletics programs and the disparity the women's team faced while being at the literal top of their game--feminist concerns that Maraniss unpacks throughout the story without ever bogging down the narrative.
Inaugural Ballers: The True Story of the First US Women's Olympic Basketball Team is the best kind of narrative non-fiction filled with high stakes, memorable characters, and team you have to cheer on.
Possible Pairings: Courage to Soar by Simone Biles, No Stopping Us Now by Lucy Jane Bledsoe, Let Me Play by Karen Blumenthal, Gender Inequality in Sports by Kirstin Cronn-Mills, My Shot by Elena Delle Donne, Attucks! by Phillip M. Hoose, The Matchless Six by Ron Hotchkiss, One Life by Megan Rapinoe, Game Changers by Molly Schiot, Undefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team by Steve Sheinkin, Hoops by Matt Tavares, Play Like a Girl by Misty Wilson and David Wilson
December 12, 2022
On the surface, it seems like a simple story, that of the American women who were the first to represent the US in Olympic basketball. But, as Maraniss shows, it goes much, much deeper. The feats of these women cannot be separated from the history of sexism and racism in this country, and it is quite a feat to include so much important supporting information while keeping the focus on basketball. While at times the text seems dense and veering towards tangential, Maraniss always brings it back to basketball, and specifically to these athletes who played and coached in the 1976 Olympics. I've been hoping for a biography of Lusia Harris, but I guess it is fitting that the whole team is the focus here. And not even just the 1976 Olympic team. Those women were very aware that they were impacting the future of sports for women and girls, and activist mindset that carries on today in women's professional sports, especially the WNBA. A must read for basketball fans. Gr. 4+
October 10, 2022
Maraniss is a good go-to for sports-related stories and this one about women in basketball is no different. He explores the beginnings of the sport but the mark women made on it whether it be in fighting for the right to play sports (because it would increase women's heartrates and damage their prospects for marriage to making them sweat) to the victories that put women's basketball on the map.
Without play by plays, it's the story of the justice in getting their due reward to be recognized and play a sport they loved. Maraniss covers how Title IX wasn't about sports specifically though we think of them almost interchangeably at this point. He shares the women players and coaches that fought for the sport.
It's a focused narrative.
Without play by plays, it's the story of the justice in getting their due reward to be recognized and play a sport they loved. Maraniss covers how Title IX wasn't about sports specifically though we think of them almost interchangeably at this point. He shares the women players and coaches that fought for the sport.
It's a focused narrative.
March 11, 2023
Yes, this book is about basketball, but it’s not all about basketball. It’s more about how these women were trailblazers in sports and how it created a domino effect for women outside of sports. This story discusses the history of racism and sexism within sport, but also in everyday life.
We’ve all see the jokes, complained about the lack of coverage of women’s sports, the salaries men are offered compared to women, etc, but this book takes it to a whole new level. Maraniss has a way to explain societal issues but tying it back to basketball, which is a core reason why women have what they do now in sports.
If you’re a WNBA fan or fan of any sport, I think you’d enjoy this one.
Content warnings: racism, sexual assault, sexism
We’ve all see the jokes, complained about the lack of coverage of women’s sports, the salaries men are offered compared to women, etc, but this book takes it to a whole new level. Maraniss has a way to explain societal issues but tying it back to basketball, which is a core reason why women have what they do now in sports.
If you’re a WNBA fan or fan of any sport, I think you’d enjoy this one.
Content warnings: racism, sexual assault, sexism
November 7, 2022
Unique view of feminist movement through the women who sought the first US Olympic medal in basketball. Interesting tidbits that made me consider my own hopes/dreams for women in this human race. Unsettled a bit about the male author.
Read as a nomination in the non-fiction book award category as a panelist for Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Awards (Cybils Awards). Nominated in the Middle Grade Nonfiction category - I'd recommend it be included in high school nonfiction.
Low rating is probably unfair - I just personally have little to no interest in basketball, and my ratings are personal.
Read as a nomination in the non-fiction book award category as a panelist for Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Awards (Cybils Awards). Nominated in the Middle Grade Nonfiction category - I'd recommend it be included in high school nonfiction.
Low rating is probably unfair - I just personally have little to no interest in basketball, and my ratings are personal.
March 4, 2023
This YA nonfiction book focuses on the women and the basketball games they played at the 1976 Summer Olympics as the first US Women's Basketball Team. The book looks at the creation basketball and how women played basketball at its onset and how Title IX and the feminist movement helped women's basketball become more noticed. Then it delves into the women and coaches that made up the '76 team, how they got to Olympics and each game they played at the Olympics and to help make it the game it is today. Well researched and includes black and white photographs along with the Olympic roster and the the stats for each game played at the Olympics.
September 25, 2022
Thank you so much Netgalley for the review copy!
I was so afraid that I might not like "Inaugural Ballers" because nonfiction are either a hit or miss for me but it's, without a doubt, one of the best nonfiction books I've ever read in my life. The narration was wonderfully descriptive, well researched, engaging and delivered a lot of information without seeming overbearing. I know nothing about basketball but it was intriguing to read about the backstories of inspiring, hardworking female players. Highly recommended!
I was so afraid that I might not like "Inaugural Ballers" because nonfiction are either a hit or miss for me but it's, without a doubt, one of the best nonfiction books I've ever read in my life. The narration was wonderfully descriptive, well researched, engaging and delivered a lot of information without seeming overbearing. I know nothing about basketball but it was intriguing to read about the backstories of inspiring, hardworking female players. Highly recommended!
April 8, 2023
Great book about a particular point in time, but also about the history leading up to it and how it shaped sports in the 45 years since. There were photos included, and copious amounts of footnotes with backstory and additional details. The whole book was in a very conversational style while still giving factual details, quotes from the players, and evidence of lots of research. Highly recommended.
July 2, 2025
This was a neat and informative story on how the 1976 U.S. women's Olympic basketball team came to be. The author tied in how the importance of Title IV played into the surge in women's sports and how it helped shape the sporting landscape today. The team had its share of issues early on and were no where near as close to beating the Soviets at the time but as we can see over time, the U.S. became the superpower in basketball that we have today.
November 19, 2022
Really enjoyed learning about the players and process of the '76 women's Olympic team that played a huge role in helping women's basketball and women's sports to where they are today. My favourite part was getting to know more about who the players were as people and what kind of childhood they came from. The parts about Nancy Lieberman always made me laugh. Definitely recommend!
December 9, 2022
Honestly, nonfiction is not my style. At all. So the fact that I finished it means it was good.
While the writing style was hard to follow at times, I think that the story is an important one to share. It revealed the struggles that each woman endured to make it onto the team, and the changes that they made in their world along the way.
While the writing style was hard to follow at times, I think that the story is an important one to share. It revealed the struggles that each woman endured to make it onto the team, and the changes that they made in their world along the way.
December 26, 2022
If you are a young adult or not, this is such a fascinating book about the first women's US National Team. Maraniss does a great job integrating interviews, historical information, and stories in a really compelling way. There are so many stories about these pioneers in women's sports, and this book shares them in an accessible and engaging way.
March 23, 2025
3.5 rounded up. Exceptionally well written and researched. I personally found it challenging to keep up with all the names of players, coaches, opponents and backstories, but the overall journey that these women went through was amazing! Towards the end when team USA was competing for a medal I didn’t want to stop reading. USA! USA!
August 6, 2022
While this was a really cool story, I just wasn’t the biggest fan of it. But if you love sports and non fiction, I think you would absolutely love it!! #booksforwardfriends #bffs
October 11, 2022
A compelling mixture of feminism and basketball makes this book about the first American women's basketball team to compete in the Olympics a slam dunk.
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December 30, 2022My review at Chapter16.org:
https://chapter16.org/the-spirit-of-76/
https://chapter16.org/the-spirit-of-76/
January 19, 2023
Discover the ragtag team that put US women’s basketball on the map at the 1976 Summer Games.
January 25, 2023
Wonderful book for fans of Women’s Basketball. Well researched. Well written. Several fun inside stories.
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