Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On May 7, 1969, Denise Long of Whitten, Iowa, became the first woman drafted into the NBA when the San Francisco Warriors selected the basketball standout in the 13th round of the draft. Long caught the attention of basketball fans everywhere when she averaged an astounding 69.6 per game as a senior at Union-Whitten High School in 1969.
Growing up in the small Hardin County town of Whitten (population 200), Long developed a love for basketball at an early age. Just one of 34 students in her graduating class at Union-Whitten, the nearly 6-foot-tall Long excelled on the hardwood, scoring at least 100 points on three occasions during high school. Known for her outside shooting prowess, Long netted 6,250 points in her career despite the three-point line still being a thing of the future.
During Long’s junior year in 1968, the star hooper poured in 64 points in the state championship with an estimated 3.5 million viewers watching the six-on-six basketball game on television. As she averaged nearly 70 points a game the following year, Long mulled her post-high school options. With Title IX still three years away and women’s college basketball in its infancy, the prospects of a future on the hardwood seemed slim.
Then, the Warriors selected Long in the 13th round as part of a plan to form the “Warrior Girls Basketball League,” with the Union-Whitten standout as the star performer. The four-team league played before the Warriors’ home games, and Long signed a contract that provided her with tuition at the University of San Francisco, $5,000 in expense money, and a purple Jaguar. #Iowa #OTD #History #Baskeball #ThisDayInHistory
Substate boys tennis: Grundy Center 5, Osage 0.
Elias Cakerice wins a third-set tiebreak, 6-4, 4-6 (13-11) at No. 2 singles to end the match.
Evan Bingman, Kael Edwards, Michael Lang and Dayton Myers win in straight sets; Carson Laube's No. 1 singles match halted at 6-3, 6-6
PREP COACHES OF THE CENTURY!
#23. Travis Zajac
Give this guy a couple more seasons, and he might be one of the all-time greats in Iowa history. In 6 seasons with @GCspartanFB, he's brought Grundy to the title game every year!
https://t.co/LTLK3zMK6M
I hope this is not accurate but if it is pay close attention to what I’m about to say next. If a school offers you my next 2 questions would be where is my paperwork and when do you need me to sign by.
“ THE MATH AINT MATHING”
A sign of the times: Iowa only added 2 walk-ons in its 2025 recruiting class. Stories like Dallas Clark, Quinn Schulte and Kaden Wetjen might be a thing of the past.
Hard conversations, decisions taking place to cut the roster to 105 by Aug. 1.
https://t.co/aON9LQxFGJ
@ChadLeistikow Reducing the roster had already started. Somebody changed the rules on these kids in the middle of the game. On Tuesday where was the team, where was the culture, where was the, I have your back.
Trent Cakerice (Aplington-Parkersburg/Grundy Center) ends his wrestling career with a 3-2 victory in the seventh-place match today. A second state medalist in as many years for an A-P/GC program on the move