With the surge in popularity this year of the WNBA thanks to talented rookies like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, it is only fitting to review a book this summer on women's basketball. This book concentrates on a state where the game has grown, helped by the Minnesota Lynx winning 4 WNBA championships. Here is my review of "Rare Gems."
Title/Author: “Rare Gems: How Four Generations of Women Paved the Way for the WNBA” by Howard Megdal
Rating: 4 of 5 stars (very good)
Review: Having been a fan of women’s basketball, especially players and teams with a connection to my home state of Minnesota, I was eager to read this book by Howard Megdal about the many women who have helped shape the game to the level of popularity it is now enjoying in the North Star State. For the most part, it lived up to my expectations.
Getting the one downside of the book out of the way now, it would have been nice if some of the stories had more details. For me, this is especially true for two of the early pioneers Megdal profiles, Elvera “Peps” Neuman and Vicky Nelson. Both of their stories are great, especially Neuman, who found a way to build a career out of basketball in an era where there was no WNBA and no Title IX so that women had more opportunities to have that dream basketball career. While the stories are good, more detail about their struggles and how they overcame them would have made good writing even better. Also, some more details on players named in later eras, such as important players for the Minnesota Lynx who weren’t stars such as Candice Wiggins and even current stars like Napheesa Collier, would have made a very good book even better.
The stories and information that IS shared in the book is excellent for any fan of women’s basketball. This is especially true for fans of the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota Lynx of the WNBA. The best writing and story of how far a woman can go in the sport is about the power couple for the Lynx – head coach Cheryl Reeve and her wife Carley Knox, currently the President of Business Operations for the Lynx. They met while both were working for the Detroit Shock – Knox in the office and Reeve as an assistant coach. Not only did they grow together in their respective roles to become cornerstones of the Lynx franchise, it is also how they met and from there their relationship grew to marriage and starting a family with their son Oliver.
But for me, the best part of the book, no matter how much or little material may be wanted, was to learn about Neuman and her determination to play the game she loved. From starting off with a hoop in her parents’ driveway to playing for a barnstorming professional team when there was no organized professional women’s basketball, I loved reading about her enthusiasm and positive vibes. No matter what hurdles she encountered - and women basketball players encountered many of them, some of which still exist today – she always made sure to remain upbeat. The tale of her blanket that she waves at University of Minnesota games was excellent.
Other Minnesota stars such as Paige Bueckers, Maya Moore, and of course Hall of Famer Lindsay Whalen are featured. While some of the information may leave readers wanting to know more about some of these women, it is still a very good source for the important women in Minnesota basketball.
I wish to thank the publisher for providing a review copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own.
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