If Not For Them
@ifnotforthem.bsky.social
A docuseries in production on the origin story of college women’s basketball. Set up as a non-profit production. Executive Producer Brenda VanLengen. ifnotforthem.com/join-the-team/
Seems like a great day to share our newest shirt in the “If Not For Them” line of apparel. #WNBA #Unrivaled
Women Get **** Done
PRE-ORDER, TEES WILL SHIP ON OCTOBER 16. Celebrate the women who make the game possible with this bold “Women Get Sh*t Done / If Not For Them” basketball tee. Designed in classic navy with vibrant orange and vintage cream graphics, this statement shirt honors the strength, determination, and impact of women in basketba
cherry-co.com
If Not For Them is collaborating with TOGETHXR to celebrate the legends of the game who played and coached before the NCAA took over women’s sports and paved the way for today’s WNBA stars! Check out this YouTube video to learn how Ora Washington paved the way for Napheesa Collier.
Why Napheesa Collier Thinks This Pioneer’s Story Needs to be Known | If Not For Them
YouTube video by Togethxr
youtube.com
500! Yes, we have surpassed 500 generous contributors to this non-profit production. Thank you for helping us support this important history! If you would like to Join the Team too, you can do so here:
Join the Team
Make a tax-deductible contribution, purchase something from our store, submit a story idea and spread the word! A documentary series of this scope has never been produced on the history of women’s…
ifnotforthem.com
Over the past few weeks, Executive Producer Brenda VanLengen has presented portions of “If Not For Them” to select audiences in Tulsa, Washington DC, Iowa City, Lubbock and Nashville as part of our awareness and fundraising campaign.
Congratulations to the 2026 USA Women’s Basketball National Team for winning their 12th World Cup Title and their fifth consecutive gold medal! #teamusa #fibawwc @usabasketball.bsky.social
Congratulations to Coach Marian Washington for being inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a member of the 1996 @usabasketball.bsky.social Olympic team coaching staff! (1/3)
It was so good to see WNBA star Napheesa Collier back on the court today! 24 points and 10 rebounds in her season debut after recovering from two ankle surgeries! #wnba #minnesotalynx
Dr. Jill Hutchison played a huge role in advancing women's basketball on and off the court throughout her career. She even helped prove scientifically that women could compete in a full-court five-on-five game and hosted the first AIAW National Championship at Illinois State in 1972. (1/2)
A heart for the game: Hutchison honored for impactful coaching career
Dr. Jill Hutchison, a three-time conference coach of the year, has added yet another honor to her lengthy list as the recipient of Illinois State University’s 2026 Distinguished Alumni Award.
news.illinoisstate.edu
On this 54th anniversary of Title IX, let's remember and thank the courageous women who battled for its implementation, which provides equitable opportunities for girls and women in sports and education!
We want to wish a very happy birthday to legendary Longhorn Jody Conradt! You can read about and remember some of her incredible coaching accomplishments in the If Not For Them blog.
A Birthday Celebration for Jody Conradt
As we celebrated Jody Condradt’s birthday on May 16, it seemed like a prime time to share a few of our favorite moments from her decorated career: In 1963… She graduated from Baylor University with a…
ifnotforthem.com
Join us to celebrate the life and accomplishments of legendary coach Jessie Banks, who passed away in February. You can read more about how she changed the sport of basketball in Colorado and around the country in our latest blog.
Remembering Jessie Banks
Legendary coach and women’s basketball trailblazer Jessie Banks passed away on February 20, 2026, at the age of 90. Banks, who was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a member the…
ifnotforthem.com
In honor of Black History Month, we want to celebrate Marian E. Washington and Patricia Ferguson, two of the stars on the first college national championship team.
West Chester University: The First College Women’s Basketball National Tournament Champion
In honor of Black History Month, we want to celebrate Marian E. Washington and Patricia Ferguson, two of the stars on the first college national championship team. In 1969, West Chester State College…
ifnotforthem.com
Thank you to Athletes Unlimited for celebrating Dr. Bessie Stockard, one of the stars of the If Not For Them docuseries and the first Black woman to serve on a US National Team coaching staff when she helped select and coach the women’s basketball team preparing for the 1976 Olympics!
What an incredible day in Nashville for If Not For Them on Friday, February 13th. We’re sending a huge thank you to NCAA National Champion and two-time WNBA Champion, Sydney Colson, for lending her voice and her perspective to the If Not For Them series!
It is no surprise that UConn and Tennessee landed at #1 and #2 in the recent @apnews.com Poll that ranks the greatest womens basketball programs of all time. The AP analyzed nearly 900 polls over the last 50 years to develop a ranking formula to determine the top teams including factors like…
After 49 years as a game-changing coach and athletic administrator, Texas legend Jody Conradt is retiring from fulltime employment. You can review some of her career highlights here in the If Not For Them blog: ifnotforthem.com/a-birthday-celebration-for-jody-conradt/
Congratulations to Hannah Hidalgo on an incredible performance last night! She set a Notre Dame record with 44 points and an #ncaaw record with 16 steals against Akron. Did you know she and Kentucky legend Valerie Still are both from Camden County, NJ?
The Athletic@theathletic.com · 12mo agoSixteen steals in 28 minutes 🤯 Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo set the Division 1 record for steals in a game in a 44-point night against Akron.
A big win for the USC Trojans, toppling ninth-ranked NC State this weekend! Linda Sharp, the program’s first coach, led USC to two championships and was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001.
Production assistant Joni Kelsey shared these great pictues from Minnesota Lynx games this season. She has seen 10 of the 13 WNBA teams in-person! How many have you seen?
We are thrilled to support this team and their coverage of #WNBAAllStar in Indianapolis!
The IX Sports@theixsports.bsky.social · last yr.We’re on the ground in Indianapolis! Follow The Next all weekend and bookmark this page for our 2025 #WNBAAllStar coverage sponsored by @ifnotforthem.bsky.social: 🔗 thenexthoops.com/2025-wnba-all-star-game/
Congratulations to UConn Women's Basketball, the 2025 NCAA DI National Champions! They secured the program's historic 12th title on Sunday with a victory against South Carolina. 📷 @thenext.bsky.social
As we begin March Madness 2025, would you like to watch a one-hour preview of the 10 episodes of the If Not For Them docuseries and hear its remarkable theme song written and produced by Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Brandy Clark! (1/5)
Join the Team
Make a tax-deductible contribution, purchase something from our store, submit a story idea and spread the word! List of Donors A documentary series of this scope has never been produced on the history...
ifnotforthem.com
Thank you to Andrew Haubner at @nocapspacewbb.com for the writing about the incredible career of Marian Washington! You can read more about her life and work in her memoir “Fierce” which was published last year: 🔗 marianewashington.com/books
The Legendarium: A Vision in the Phog
A special Legendarium for Black History Month centers one of the first ever pioneers of the game: Marian Washington. How her legacy lives on and can be carried into the next evolution of the game.
nocapspacewbb.com
On Friday, Molly Kazmer, a star of the original women’s professional basketball league in the United States, was named a finalist for the Naismith Hall of Fame. Details at the link!: www.thenexthoops.com/features/mol...
Molly Kazmer named finalist for Naismith Hall of Fame - The Next
Molly Kazmer, a legendary member of the Women's Professional Basketball League, has been nominated for a Hall of Fame recognition.
thenexthoops.com
As #BlackHistoryMonth begins, we want to acknowledge some of the incredible trailblazers in women’s basketball.
Black History Month Spotlight
This Black History Month, we will highlight trailblazing women like Ora Washington, Bessie Stockard, Marian E. Washington and more.
ifnotforthem.com
A great piece from Mel Greenberg’s blog on legendary player and coach Marian Washington and why she deserves to be in the Naismith Hall of Fame. We’re rooting for you! 🔗 womhoops.blogspot.com/2025/01/the-guru-ncaaw-report-on-behalf-of-hof.html
Today is the 46th anniversary of the first WBL game between the Chicago Hustle and the Milwaukee Does. Last year I talked to Legends of the Ball, Inc. president Elizabeth Galloway-McQuitter about the anniversary, the legacy of the league and more: @thenext.bsky.social
The WBL’s 45th anniversary, the legacy of the league and Legends of the Ball, Inc. | WBB Podcast
YouTube video by Locked On Women's Basketball
youtube.com
Thank you to everyone who chose to support If Not For Them on this #GivingTuesday! If you are still interested in supporting the docuseries and its important preservation of women’s basketball history, you can Join the Team here: 🔗 ifnotforthem.com/join-the-tea...
If you’d like to be part of our effort to recover and share the forgotten history of women’s basketball before the NCAA, join our team at @ifnotforthem.bsky.social! It’s a ten-episode docuseries in production featuring those who built the foundation for college women’s sports!
If Not For Them@ifnotforthem.bsky.social · 2y agoThis #GivingTuesday, please consider a tax-deductible gift to If Not For Them. We continue to make progress on production of our first three episodes and have begun scripting Episode 4. Your support means so much to preserving and sharing this important history!
This #GivingTuesday, please consider a tax-deductible gift to If Not For Them. We continue to make progress on production of our first three episodes and have begun scripting Episode 4. Your support means so much to preserving and sharing this important history!
Join the Team
Make a tax-deductible contribution, purchase something from our store, submit a story idea and spread the word! List of Donors A documentary series of this scope has never been produced on the history...
ifnotforthem.com