Court Time, World Champs and Red Heads

In this episode of Her Game. Her Voice., we dive into the stories of two groundbreaking women’s basketball teams.

First, the Fort Shaw Indian Boarding School team—Indigenous girls who dominated the court in the early 1900s, becoming world champions at the 1904 World’s Fair. But their success came with a dark reality, as their victories were used to promote assimilation policies. It’s a story that will make you cheer—and cringe.

Then, meet the All American Red Heads, the first professional women’s basketball team, who took on men’s teams by men’s rules while sporting matching red hair (thanks to Clairol Flame 33). Part Harlem Globetrotters, part unstoppable force, they paved the way for women’s pro ball.

Plus, this week’s Buzzer Beater, Airball Award, and Flagrant Foul—including the NCAA’s new pay structure for women’s March Madness and a Big 12 tournament court so ugly it should’ve been ejected.

Show Notes:

📺 Watch the Fort Shaw documentary Playing for the World (PBS)

https://www.pbs.org/video/montanapbs-presents-playing-for-the-world

📽️ See the All American Red Heads in action (YouTube link)

https://youtu.be/wWri6sWbMqo

“Big stories, little episodes—amplifying the voices shaping the game on and off the court." - Her Game Her Voice Podcast by Kaari Peterson

Transcript

Kaari 0:00

Hi, I'm Kaari Peterson, and welcome to another episode of Her Game Her Voice, the podcast where I amplify the voices shaping the game both on and off the court.

Kaari 0:12

Last episode, I shared insights from my basketball class with Coach Tara Vanderveer, diving into the history of the game and the fact that women had to fight for court time from the very beginning.

Kaari 0:23

I also mentioned Tara's belief that basketball reflects American culture. And sometimes... That reflection makes you cringe, like a bad call in a close game, or in this case, a troubling chapter in history.

Kaari 0:37

Case in point, Tara told us a story from her first year coaching at Idaho. During the fourth quarter of a tight game, a guy from the Idaho communications team walked up and told her there could be no overtime. If the game went long, they'd have to do a sudden death shootout.

Kaari 0:56

Coach Vanderveer was not one to back down. She shot back, if anyone walks onto the court and tries to stop my team from playing, there will be a sudden death.

Kaari 1:08

Classic Tara, and one of the best parts of taking this basketball course with her.

Kaari 1:13

Hearing these stories from her amazing life as a coach has been so much fun. She's actually been really entertaining.

Kaari 1:19

All right, my dear hoop heads, let's jump into what we're going to talk about today.

Kaari 1:25

Today, we're diving into the stories of two trailblazing women's basketball teams.

Kaari 1:30

One team found success in a way that'll make you cheer.

Kaari 1:33

And the other?

Kaari 1:35

Well, their story is just as groundbreaking, but it comes with a trigger warning. A trigger warning in the sense that this one will make you cringe.

Kaari 1:43

Not in a missed free throw when your team is down by one way.

Kaari 1:46

More of a, yikes, this is really messed up way.

Kaari 1:51

This is the story of the Fort Shaw Indian Boarding School basketball team. Back in 1892, the federal government opened the Fort Shaw Indian Boarding School in Montana. Like other boarding schools for Native children, its mission was forced assimilation, stripping them of their languages, cultures, and connections to their tribal communities.

Kaari 2:13

What could possibly go wrong?

Kaari 2:16

Students were trained for domestic work, industrial labor, and farming. There were also classes in music, theater, and, fortunately, physical education.

Kaari 2:25

And that's where basketball came in.

Kaari 2:28

A group of girls at Fort Shaw picked up the sport and quickly became incredible at it. We're talking high schoolers dominating everyone they played incredible. They even beat teams from Montana and Montana State Universities. Their games drew big crowds.

Kaari 2:47

Hundreds of white spectators packed their games across Montana, and the crowds were cheering them on.

Kaari 2:54

This didn't go unnoticed by the school's director, who saw basketball as the perfect PR tool to show off what he called successful assimilation.

Kaari 3:04

Yeah, if you're anything like me, that last part made you cringe.

Kaari 3:08

In 1903, the Fort Shaw team was invited to play at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis, as part of the Model Indian School exhibit.

Kaari 3:18

The goal?

Kaari 3:19

To convince millions of visitors that boarding schools were civilizing Native people.

Kaari 3:24

Cringe.

Kaari 3:25

Over five months, more than 3 million people watched Indigenous students demonstrate skills in domestic labor, industrial work, drama, and music.

Kaari 3:34

But the real stars of the exhibit?

Kaari 3:37

The 10 Indigenous girls from Fort Shaw dominating on the basketball court.

Kaari 3:42

They played team after team at the fair, winning every game. And after an undefeated run, they were declared world champions. But in between their games, they were required to perform for spectators, reciting Longfellow's Hiawatha in buckskin dresses.

Kaari 3:59

Yes, I am cringing again.

Kaari 4:01

After their historic run, the basketball team returned to Montana and was largely forgotten.

Kaari 4:09

This made me feel really sad.

Kaari 4:12

So I decided to search for a silver lining.

Kaari 4:15

And here it is.

Kaari 4:16

The Fort Shaw girls weren't just basketball trailblazers.

Kaari 4:20

The game gave them something deeper, camaraderie, confidence, and purpose during a time when they were subjected to destructive federal policies and systemic oppression. Basketball was so much more than a game for them. It was an incredible source of strength.

Kaari 4:38

And that's the power of basketball and one of the reasons I love this game.

Kaari 4:42

I feel like I'm headed down a bit of a personal path right now.

Kaari 4:46

Oh, what the heck, I'm just going to go for it.

Kaari 4:49

As a child growing up in Michigan, I sometimes struggled with depression.

Kaari 4:53

Basketball helped me get through some dark times.

Kaari 4:56

From practicing free throws alone in our driveway to playing on my school's team, I could always count on basketball to make me feel better.

Kaari 5:07

Okay. Now, let's move on to our next team of trailblazers.

Kaari 5:12

Introducing the All-American Redheads.

Kaari 5:16

Formed in 1936 by C.M. Olson of Cassville, Missouri, the Redheads were the first professional women's basketball team in the U.S.

Kaari 5:25

But get this.

Kaari 5:26

The team wasn't originally about basketball.

Kaari 5:31

Olson created it to promote his wife's five beauty parlors in Arkansas and Missouri.

Kaari 5:37

Beyond the marketing stunt, I'm happy to say that the Olsens had a bigger vision.

Kaari 5:41

They wanted to challenge stereotypes about women in sports.

Kaari 5:45

Olsen recruited seven female basketball players. Two of them had red hair. Legend has it, that's how the team got its name.

Kaari 5:55

To match the theme, they wore red, white, and blue uniforms, and if needed, a Clairol brand hair dye called Flame 33. Because yes, even natural redheads had to meet the official shade of red.

Kaari 6:08

And the redheads didn't just play basketball. They dominated.

Kaari 6:13

They took on men's teams and played by men's rules, shattering expectations and social barriers along the way. They played a grueling 220 games a year, traveling across the U.S. and even making it to Alaska, Canada, Mexico, and the Philippines, packing arenas at every stop.

Kaari 6:33

Like the Harlem Globetrotters, they mixed elite basketball skills with dazzling trick shots, flashy ball handling, and a little humor. But make no mistake, they were serious athletes.

Kaari 6:46

The Redheads remain the longest-running women's professional franchise in basketball history, playing from 1936 to 1986.

Kaari 6:55

If you want to see the Redheads in action, and why wouldn't you, check the show notes for a YouTube link.

Kaari 7:04

And now it's time for the awards segment of our show.

Kaari 7:08

This week, the buzzer beater award goes to the NCAA.

Kaari 7:14

The NCAA will now pay Division I women's basketball teams who play and win in March Madness games.

Kaari 7:20

The new pay structure starts in the 2025 season, with units paid out to the schools in 2026 and on a rolling three-year basis.

Kaari 7:30

This means that with a Final Four appearance, a team could bring its conference $1.26 million over the next three years.

Kaari 7:39

Well done, NCAA.

Kaari 7:42

And now, the Air Ball Award.

Kaari 7:46

This week's Air Ball Award goes to the Big 12 Tournament Committee.

Kaari 7:51

For what, you ask?

Kaari 7:53

For designing a tournament court so ugly, teams considered losing just so they wouldn't have to play on it again.

Kaari 8:00

Seriously, the monochromatic houndstooth pattern court looked like someone printed a static TV screen onto the hardwood floor.

Kaari 8:09

Way to go, Big 12 Tournament Committee.

Kaari 8:12

It's a bold move making the floor itself the toughest opponent of the tournament.

Kaari 8:18

And last but not least, the Flagrant Foul award this week goes to the NCAA.

Kaari 8:25

Yes, they did earn a Buzzer Beater award, but...

Kaari 8:28

They also get a flagrant foul.

Kaari 8:30

Remember, the money bag for women's basketball tournament appearances is $1.26 million.

Kaari 8:37

But the money bag for men's tournament appearances? $200 million.

Kaari 8:42

And they've been paid for tournament appearances for years.

Kaari 8:46

The women are just getting started.

Kaari 8:48

I get it.

Kaari 8:49

Historically, women's college basketball generates fewer dollars than men's.

Kaari 8:54

But it's 2025.

Kaari 8:56

Sadly, closing the pay gap between men and women's college sports is going to take time.

Kaari 9:02

The silver lining is we're headed in the right direction.

Kaari 9:05

And that's it for another episode of Her Game, Her Voice.

Kaari 9:10

If you'd like to hear more episodes of Her Game, Her Voice, please follow or subscribe to the podcast. Subscribing and following the podcast is a mutually beneficial thing. It benefits you because you won't miss an episode, and it benefits me because, well, you won't miss an episode.

Kaari 9:28

Subscribing is easy. Just go to the Her Game, Her Voice show page on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Tap on the plus sign or click on "follow" to subscribe.

Kaari 9:39

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Kaari 9:51

Thanks again for listening and let's get hooping!