Trailblazers of Women’s Basketball Enshrined
The 1981-1982 Cheyney University women’s basketball team made history by becoming the first and only Historically Black College and University (HBCU) to appear in an NCAA Division 1 national championship game. This groundbreaking achievement has earned them enshrinement in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as the “Trailblazer of the Game.”
“We are very thankful, but 42 years? When you want to really understand and know about the history of women’s NCAA championships, you have to go back to the first year,” said Valerie Walker, one of the star players on the team.
Cheyney’s Pioneering Journey
Under the guidance of Hall of Famer C. Vivian Stringer, the team from Cheyney University, Pennsylvania’s oldest HBCU, entered the first-ever women’s NCAA tournament on a 20-game winning streak. They defeated Auburn, North Carolina State, Kansas State, and Maryland en route to the championship game against Louisiana Tech.
Breaking Barriers: An All-Black Women Coaching Staff
In another groundbreaking feat, Cheyney University’s coaching staff, led by Stringer, is believed to be the first composed entirely of Black women to compete in a women’s national championship game.
“We’re trailblazers because they told us that we couldn’t do it. You’ve got to always talk about the first,” Walker said, alluding to the exploding popularity of women’s basketball.
Recognizing Trailblazers: A Long-Overdue Honor
Yolanda Laney, another star member of the 1982 team, expressed her gratitude for receiving this recognition while still alive. “It is good to get your flowers while you’re still alive because it’s been 40 years…long overdue,” she said.
Laney also acknowledged Stringer’s pivotal role, stating, “Cheyney was first. Cheyney is where it all began. My teammates have told her (Stringer) and she said it herself: She’s Cheyney-made.”
Honoring Stringer’s Legacy
Walker believes that Stringer, who later coached at Iowa, might have brought the school a national title if not for the tragic death of her husband. The recent success of Iowa’s Caitlin Clark has brought renewed attention to Stringer’s tenure at the university.
“So then they had to go back and do their research to find out, no, Iowa was really good. Had her husband not passed, I’d say Iowa might have won a Final Four or two,” Walker said.
Keeping the Legacy Alive
South Carolina Gamecocks head women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley paid tribute to Cheyney’s historic team by wearing Laney’s number 44 jersey during the 2023 women’s March Madness tournament. This gesture sparked conversations and brought more recognition to the team’s achievements.
“She just said it was the right thing to do, and it was long overdue for us as far as the history that we made 40 years ago to come to light. It meant a great deal,” Laney said of Staley’s tribute.
The enshrinement of the 1981-1982 Cheyney University women’s basketball team in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame is a well-deserved honor, acknowledging their trailblazing contributions to the sport and paving the way for future generations of women’s basketball players and coaches.
