KNOW THE HISTORY

KNOW THE HISTORY

Gary Norris Gray-Staff Reporter

Only in America can a predominantly Black women’s basketball team-THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA, coached by a Black woman-DAWN STALEY, go 109-3 in three years, have an undefeated season-38-0, win the national title and the national story is about a white shooting guard, Caitlin Clark, on the losing team.

America your racism and bias rages once again.

Before anybody loses their mind Caitlin Clark is a fine basketball player with great shooting and passing skills. But Ms. Clark has not attained her full basketball potential yet and she does not have titles. Clark has yet to put a team on her back and carry them to a title. The resume is incomplete as of 2024. What Ms. Clark has done is elevate the women’s basketball game on a national level. What Ms. Clark has done is generate a increase revenue stream for ladies sports.

KNOW THE HISTORY

America tried to inform the national ladies basketball fan base that Caitlin Clark was the GOAT “Greatest Of All Times,” of ladies basketball. Pushing this star narrative the complete tournament this year. This is a direct attack on Black female college basketball players that have played the game and a political-social swipe at head coach Dawn Staley-University of South Carolina, after just winning her third National Title. It was unnecessary and had a racist tone.

KNOW THE HISTORY

First one has to remember and know the history of women’s basketball with the 1970’s women’s basketball champions Immaculata College-Pennsylvania, Delta State University – Mississippi, and Louisiana Tech under the AIAW-Association for Intercollegiate Athletes for Women colleagent banner.

The majority of these new women’s basketball fans do not know this because they were not even born yet and they don’t do the research. They do not know the NCAA abandon these basketball pioneers to fend for themselves in the 1980’s. The Lady Techsters, The Mighty Macs, and The Lady Statesmen could not compete or recruit like the Division One schools and they just faded into the history books.

The first NCAA women’s championship in 1982 pitted The Lady Techsters of La. Tech vs. (HBCU) Historically Black Colleges and Universities Cheyney State-Pennsylvania, Coached by African American Vivian Stringer. Tech won 76-62.

Ms. Clark would not have made it on the floor in the 1970’s-1980’s because defenders would have bodied her up and stuck to her like glue on paper. Clark would have had limited free shots that she gets today. My late sister Denice E. Gray-center would have swatted Clark’s shoots away playing for Immaculata College-now University. Ms. Clark would never get pass Big Lucy- Lusia Harris from Delta State University. Ms. Harris stood their ground with her wide arm span defending the basket. Lusia Harris was the first Black female drafted by the NBA- National Basketball Association by the New Orleans Jazz.

Know your history. Every time the media states Caitlin Clark has evolved the women’s college basketball game its an insult to all African American Ladies who played the game. It is also an insult to some great white players too like Theresa Shank, Marianne Stanley, Becky Hammon, Sue Bird, Rebecca Lobo, Diana Taurasi, and Breanna Stewart. Ann Myers, Nancy Lieberman, and Juliene Blazoski

It’s a smack in the face to Hall of Fame players, Lynette Woodard- University of Kansas, Lisa Leslie and Cheryl Miller-University of Southern California, Miller three time All American and two time National Champion with 3,000 points, Sheryl Swoopes-Texas Tech who average 35 points a game in 1993, Candance Parker has two National Titles and Chamique Holdsclaw-Univ. of Tennessee with three National Titles and player of the year and Maya Moore with a 150-4 record and two National Championships,

How many Championships does Ms. Clark have? That’s right it’s zero.

Then the media states Clark is the highest scoring player in college basketball history and that’s not true either. The scoring record belongs to African American Pearl Moore of Florence, South Carolina with 4,061 points. Moore suited up for Francis Marion University between 1975-1979 and Ms. Moore did this without the three-point line.

KNOW THE HISTORY

This is Head Coach Staley’s 24^th year coaching and she is just two victories away from 800. Ms. Staley is farther ahead of many of the other past elite coaches. Eight years heading Temple University and 16 years with the University of South Carolina with four Final Fours. Ms. Staley teams have only missed the tournament five times. She has consistently propelled her teams into the top ten with only two losing seasons. Ms. Staley is ahead of the most prominent head coaches at the 24^th year mark.

KNOW THE HISTORY

Here is an example with four other historical women’s basketball coaches at their 24-year mark. Jody Conradt who stayed with the Lady Longhorns all 24 years at the University of Texas 790 wins and One National Title 3 Final Fours. Tara VanDerveer- Ohio State only missed tournament once, and Stanford University missed the tournament 4 times with 601 wins 3 National titles and 5 Final Fours. Pat Summitt-University of Tennessee 738 wins 16 Final Fours 6 National Titles. Gino Auriemma-University of Connecticut missed the tournament the first three years 735 wins 7 National Titles and 11 Final Fours. Ms. Staley has passed all of these historical coaches at the same time frame, so why can’t the media be honest and inform the basketball world? because then the Caitlin Clark story could not be pushed on a national scale. The hero would not live up to reality and the facts. Remember American cannot have a Black hero male or female.

 Gary Norris Gray – Writer, Author, Historian. Gibbs Magazine-Oakland, California and New England Informer- Boston Mass. THE GRAYLINE:- The Analects of A Black Disabled Man, The Gray Leopard Cove, Soul Tree Radio In The Raw, and The Batchelor Pad News Network Disabled Community Activist. Email at

glcgray@gmail.com