Billie Jean King
Our founder, Billie Jean King shares her thoughts on life, tennis and doing the right thing.
When Billie Jean King enters a room, the air becomes electric. People stare, whispers are heard; strangers come up to her and express their admiration and gratitude. She handles it with grace and aplomb, like she’s handled the many obstacles that have been set in her path. An icon of American culture, she’s won 20 Wimbledon tiles, was the first woman to earn more than $100,000 in any sport, founded the first magazine for women’s sports, coached Olympic athletes to gold and has been at the center of two of the most influential events in women’s sports.
Lusia Harris-Stewart
Question: Who scored the first basket in Olympic women’s basketball competition?
Answer: Lusia Harris-Stewart, USA, 1976.
It would come as no surprise Harris-Stewart’s name didn’t leap to mind. Since she’s a quiet and self-effacing woman, teammate Ann Meyers had to point out the historical significance of her basket.