First published 2012
Ann Meyers Drysdale stands as one of basketball's greatest stars, but her path to the top sparked fierce debate. In 1979, her attempt to join the Indiana Pacers triggered a storm of criticism from those who believed women had no place in the NBA. Ann had always competed against men and refused to let anyone hold her back. She became UCLA's first female scholarship athlete and their only four-time All American in basketball, regardless of gender. ABC Sports invited her to compete in "Superstars" alongside elite athletes like Mark Spitz, Joe Frazier, and O.J. Simpson. After retiring from competition, she moved into broadcasting and front office roles, eventually becoming the NBA's only female vice president with the Phoenix Suns and general manager of the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury. Her marriage to legendary Dodgers pitcher Don Drysdale made them the first couple both enshrined in their respective sports' Halls of Fame. This memoir reveals the personal story behind her barrier-breaking career and the determination that carried her through decades of being the first woman in rooms full of men.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, gender-studies, feminism, autobiography, biography-memoir, 21st-century, basketball
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: barrier-breaking, determined-protagonist, first-of-her-kind
Setting: Indiana, Los Angeles, Phoenix, UCLA, WNBA
Period: 1979, 20th-century, 21st-century
250 pages · Kindle Edition · Behler Publications