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How did women's basketball develop in the late nineteenth century?
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History of basketball
Basketball inventor James Naismith holding a ball and a peach basket, the first basketball equipment.
In the late nineteenth century, women's basketball developed as a modified version of the men's game, emphasizing passing and positioning over aggressive play. Senda Berenson introduced her adapted rules at Smith College in 1892, limiting dribbling and ball possession time. Clara Baer also contributed significantly with her rules published in 1895, which initially confined players to specific court areas, reflecting a belief that the men's game was too strenuous for women. Despite facing societal hindrances, including perceptions of it being unladylike, women's basketball gradually gained popularity in schools and colleges.123