Shattering the Glass is not just a book about sports history; it is a fundamental work that intertwines the narrative of women's basketball with the struggles for women's rights and the evolution of American society. Pamela Grundy and Susan Shackelford offer a detailed and passionate analysis of the challenges, victories, and transformations that have shaped this sport, making the book an essential reference for anyone interested in sports history and gender equality issues.

The book spans over a century of women's basketball, from its origins in the 19th century to contemporary times. The authors illustrate how basketball has provided women with a means of expression and empowerment, although it has long been hindered by cultural and social barriers. From the game's early days, adapted to "female needs" with fewer physical rules, to the rise of the WNBA, the book documents how athletes have challenged stereotypes and discrimination to gain recognition and visibility.

One of the most compelling aspects of the book is the richness of firsthand accounts. Through interviews and detailed reports, Grundy and Shackelford give voice to the protagonists of this long battle. They recount figures such as Senda Berenson, a pioneer of women's basketball, and legendary athletes like Pat Summitt and Cheryl Miller, who transformed the sports landscape with their talent and determination.
Beyond sports chronicle, "Shattering the Glass" explores the broader implications of women's basketball in society. The book addresses the role of Title IX. This U.S. legislation revolutionized women's access to sports and examines the relationship between female athletes and issues of race, gender identity, and media visibility. The authors highlight how the success of women's basketball is not just about records or trophies but a testament to the evolution of the fight for equality.

Grundy and Shackelford write with academic rigor while maintaining the ability to engage the reader. The narrative is fluid, and rich in anecdotes and insights, making the book accessible to both sports enthusiasts and those seeking a broader perspective on social issues. The tone is passionate yet always balanced, providing a clear and well-documented picture of the evolution of women's basketball.

"Shattering the Glass" is an essential work for anyone who wants to understand the long journey of women's basketball and its impact on society. It is not just a sportsbook but a testimony to the resilience and strength of generations of athletes who have fought to be recognized. With thorough research and compelling storytelling, Grundy and Shackelford deliver a read that inspires, informs, and captivates.

Shattering the Glass is an awesome book that sounds be read by all sports fans. You'll learn a lot about women's basketball.

In this fantastic history of women’s basketball in the United States, Pamela Grundy and Susan Shackelford bring the nearly two centuries of the sport to life in this fantastic new title. Exploring how women fought to play team sports in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and the professionalization of women’s sports into collegiate and professional leagues in the late twentieth and twenty-first centuries, they share how stars like Brittney Griner, Caitlin Clark, and Dawn Staley got to their current prestigious positions in the sport. Drawing on a larger history of women’s sports and their empowerment through competition and athletics, Grundy and Shackelford explore multiple generations of women’s basketball players to contextualize these modern celebrities. A fantastic overview packed with detail and some incredible images, this is a great book for academics and for die-hard women’s basketball fans interested in the history of the sport, and Grundy and Shackelford’s writing styles make this book easy to read and absolutely fascinating. The different narratives and the amount of information in this book really brings the sport’s history to life, and it is not overwhelming; rather, the book is well-organized and excellently paced so readers will struggle to put this brilliant new sports history book down.

Excellent historical recount of women's basketball, going all the way back to the sport's inception. The history is given life with the lively characters and events that gave us the women's sport we all love. The new chapters are excellent additions to an already great piece of basketball nonfiction.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this complementary ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This book is a full historical summary of women's basketball from the very beginning in the early 1900s up to the 2024 WNBA season. It's rare that I read a book on sports history without knowing the majority of the stories - but this was a rare exception as I didn't know a lot about women's basketball prior to the past few decades.

The author does a fantastic job detailing the early days of basketball and the variety of issues that women faced while trying to start up college teams. The shift in types of challenges, but not the amount, is really interesting to follow as women's basketball becomes more popular throughout time. I found the more recent seasons were breezed through more quickly than the past, but it is much easier to access information on the status of 2024 than it is for 1924.

I recommend this book for any basketball fan as it shares a lot of information that has not been told before in other books.

thank you to netgalley for the arc!!

normally i would never request a nonfiction book as an arc because that's making a committment and i need to be mood-reading for nonfiction, but considering women's basketball is one of my capital-I Interests i made an exception for this one. i heart women's basketball <33

honestly i was surprised by how much of the history i knew already! most of the new stuff i learned was from the pre-WNBA/ABL era, when women were just starting to play basketball. i was also surprised by how widespread it was in the 20s/30s --- apparently men and women played almost equally before the idea of a "nuclear family" and "traditional family values" became super prevalent.

i will always be a kim mulkey hater idc what she did for the game. i know she was a good player. if kim mulkey has no haters i am dead.

i really wish this book had been able to include this WNBA season because a LOT of stuff happened during it (especially with the context of it being caitlin clark and angel reese's rookie seasons) but i understand that there is always a point where you have to stop so the book can actually get published lol

I really enjoyed getting to learn about the history of women’s basketball, it does a great job in telling the story and was enjoying the overall concept of this. I thought it was well researched and enjoyed the way Pamela Grundy and Susan Shackelford wrote this. It’s a great book for sports fans and was everything that I wanted.

I'm a big fan of women's basketball and I didn't know the full extent of its history, so this was a very interesting read for me! It was really cool to see all the pictures of athletes going way back to the early 1900s. Enjoyed it and learned a lot, 5 stars!