History of Girls Basketball in Oklahoma

[MsProudSooner]

I think we sometimes forget that girls (or women's, if you prefer) basketball has a long history in Oklahoma. It didn't just start when D1 colleges started playing.

Basketball was the ONLY sport girls were allowed to play for decades and it was only played in the smaller schools, Class A and below. There were no sports for girls in Tulsa or Oklahoma City schools. There were no sports for girls in rec leagues and the AAU hadn't been invented yet. I know some women played golf and tennis but those were mostly limited to people who could afford country clubs. Before Title 9 or any other advancements for women's sports that came along with Title 9, girls in Oklahoma and Iowa were practicing and competing. There were no fees for travel teams or stars attached to their names by recruiting services and certainly no college scholarships. They played for no other reason than the love of the sport.

The link below lists every state championship awarded in Oklahoma beginning with Heavener in 1919, over 100 years ago.

https://www.oklahoman.com/article/2783707/all-time-girls-basketball-state-champions

 

[ouleopard]

During the 60s, 70s & 80s, Charles Heatley had the largest girls basketball camp
in the United States in Lindsay. Fond memories for a lot of teenage boys during
that period.

 

[Sooner04]

Bertha Teague. 6 on 6.

 

[SoonerSpock]

Bertha won a bunch of state championships at Byng.