03/30/2024
And they wore knee pads!
Iowa History Month Fun Fact:
It’s fitting to see Iowa native Caitlin Clark and the Hawkeyes at the epicenter of college women’s basketball’s surge in popularity this year. Young women have been playing basketball in Iowa since the early 1900s. The first official state tournament was held in 1920. By the mid-1950s, high school girls basketball (with its unique 6-on-6 style) was so popular that the state tournament sold out all 15,000+ seats in the new Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium, and soon the games were broadcast throughout the state on TV. Most of the star players and teams hailed from small towns, which supported their athletic achievements with enthusiasm and pride.
