{"product_id":"the-w-a-history-of-the-wnba-how-the-wnba-survived-evolved-and-changed-professional-sports-9781419758812","title":"The W: A History of the WNBA: How the WNBA Survived, Evolved, and Changed Professional Sports","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA raucous roller-coaster history of the WNBA, from celebrated start-up to lean years, and on to the recent boom, from a passionate sports journalist\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe history of the WNBA is an epic one, and in \u003ci\u003eThe W\u003c\/i\u003e, journalist Tamryn Spruill tells the full thrilling story. This is a three-decade tale of tenacious athletes, devoted fans, and a vibrant, diverse league that struggled for years to find a firm footing in the wider sports culture.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen the WNBA launched to much fanfare in 1996, the nascent league was treated like a kid sister with a lot of potential. Eight teams collectively owned by the NBA played a short schedule during the men's offseason. Fans flocked to arenas to see stars Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie, and Rebecca Lobo, and the Houston Comets won their first of four consecutive championships.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut television broadcasts were hard to find, the conversation around the league was often blatantly sexist, and less than a decade after their \"four peat,\" the dynastic Comets had been disbanded and ceased to exist.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSocial media helped players upend that dynamic, be their authentic selves, and engender change inside the league and beyond it. College stars became pros, legends broke records, and the women of the WNBA became undeniable. Thirty years after its founding, the time has more than come for this comprehensive account of the league, and the women whose drive, on-court and off, built the W.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Tamryn Spruill\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Harry N. Abrams\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 09\/22\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 496\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.45lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.11h x 5.91w x 1.61d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781419758812\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e 06\/15\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e 07\/01\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e 08\/15\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eTamryn Spruill\u003c\/b\u003e is an award-winning independent journalist. Formerly the editor in chief of \u003ci\u003eSwish Appeal\u003c\/i\u003e, she has written for \u003ci\u003eThe Athletic\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eHarper's BAZAAR\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Red Bulletin\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eSLAM\u003c\/i\u003e, and elsewhere. A lifelong lover of basketball, Spruill has followed the WNBA since its inception and began reporting on it in 2014, with the aim of giving the then-neglected league meaningful coverage. She has a master of fine arts in creative writing from Goddard College and a bachelor of arts in Spanish and journalism from the University of South Carolina. As an adjunct professor, Spruill is passionate about teaching media history\/studies, world literature, and creative writing. She thrives in nature, feels most grounded when making music and art, and lives in Massachusetts with her wife, stepson, and two cats. Spruill currently writes at thehardscreen.net.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"booksdeli.com","offers":[{"title":"Tamryn Spruill \/ Hardcover \/ English","offer_id":48969228681373,"sku":"9781419758812","price":38.4,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0619\/5648\/9373\/files\/img_4859a3c5-ecd2-42b2-bee2-79a2259a80c0.jpg?v=1790754117","url":"https:\/\/booksdeli.com\/products\/the-w-a-history-of-the-wnba-how-the-wnba-survived-evolved-and-changed-professional-sports-9781419758812","provider":"booksdeli.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}