Summary
In 1985, Lynette Woodard became the first woman to join the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team. She played for the team for two years before moving on to international professional basketball and later worked in athletics administration in the United States.
Key Facts
- The Harlem Globetrotters were founded in 1926 and became popular as an all-African American basketball team.
- By 1985, the Globetrotters were seeking to refresh their image by adding women to the team.
- Lynette Woodard, a University of Kansas basketball star, tried out and was selected from 60 women who responded to an ad.
- Woodard had previously captained the U.S. women's basketball team to win gold at the 1984 Olympic Games.
- On October 7, 1985, the Harlem Globetrotters announced Lynette Woodard as the first female player on their team.
- Woodard wore the Globetrotters' team colors for two years and then played professional basketball in Italy and Japan.
- She later served as director of athletics in the Kansas City, Kansas, school system.
