San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Those who rose
A look at prominent figures in the history of women’s dunking.
A look at prominent figures in women’s dunking:
CARDIE HICKS
Hicks is reportedly the first woman to dunk in a pro game, using a two-handed alley-oop, she told The Chronicle, during a game in Holland. Hicks, who stands 5-foot-9 and had a 40-inch vertical leap, later played for the San Francisco Pioneers of the short-lived Women’s Basketball League. With San Francisco, Hicks dunked during practices and warm-ups for the 1981 All-Star Game in Albuquerque, N.M. Hicks later changed her first name to Cardte.
CHERYL MILLER
While attending Riverside High School in 1982, Miller is believed to be the first woman to dunk in a high school game — a game in which she scored 105 points. Miller, a Basketball Hall of Famer who stands 6-2 and is the sister of Hall of Famer Reggie Miller, won two NCAA titles at USC and an Olympic gold medal for the United States.
GEORGEANN WELLS
The 6-7 West Virginia center is the first woman to dunk in a college game, throwing down twice in December 1984. Seven others have followed her. The first jam was against visiting Charleston on Dec. 21. Wells went on to sign with the Harlem Globetrotters and played professionally in Japan. It took a decade before the next woman dunked in a college game.
MICHELLE SNOW
Snow, at 6-5, became the first woman since Charlotte Smith (1994, North Carolina) to dunk in a college game, accomplishing the feat three times at Tennessee. Snow also dunked in the 2006 WNBA All-Star Game.
LISA LESLIE
Leslie, at 6-5, was the first player to dunk in a WNBA game, on July 30, 2002, taking a pass on the fast break and stuffing it with one hand. Leslie, a Southern California native, previously jammed in a high school game and narrowly missed a dunk attempt in the inaugural WNBA game in 1997. “I thought today would be a great time to try,” Leslie said after the 2002 jam. “There has been a lot of talk and pressure around it. I finally had the opportunity.”
CANDACE PARKER
Parker, at 6-4, won the 2004 McDonald’s All American high school slam-dunk contest against future NBA players JR Smith, Rudy Gay and Josh Smith. In the competition, Parker dunked after going behind her back, and another time after covering her eyes. Parker later dunked in the NCAA Tournament (she dunked seven times total at Tennessee) and in the WNBA (with the Los Angeles Sparks). Breanna Stewart, at 6-3, later dunked in the 2012 McDonald’s All American slam-dunk contest.
BRITTNEY GRINER
Griner rose to stardom in 2008 with her ability to dunk with ease at Nimitz High in Houston. At 6-9, Griner dunked a record 18 times in college games at Baylor, according to Stanford Athletics, finishing slams in the halfcourt set and off post moves. She dunked twice in her first WNBA game.