FIRST WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FOR WOMEN-- 1953

Santiago, Chile - March 7 - 22, 1953

While the AAU had been holding women's basketball championships since 1929, 1953 marked the very first time a major international basketball competition was held for women. The uncertainty of where the U.S. women would rate on the world scale was quickly eliminated. When the dust had finally settled, the USA women had laid claim to the first World Championship title and had done so in impressive fashion.

1953 USA Women's World Championship Team 1953 USA RESULTS (5-1) USA 60 Paraguay 28 FINAL ROUND USA 41 France 37 USA 34 Argentina 22 Brazil 29 USA 23 USA 41 Paraguay 31 USA 49 Chile 36 1953 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL STANDINGS 1. USA (4-1) 6. Argentina (1-4) 2. Chile (3-2)* 7. Peru (3-0) 3. France (3-2)* 8. Mexico (2-1) 4. Brazil (3-2)* 9. Switzerland (1-2) 5. Paraguay (1-4) 10. Cuba (0-3) *Final standings based on point differential between tied teams. NOTE: Team records reflect results from Final Round or Classification Round games only.

Featuring a team composed of seven members of the Nashville Business College, one future Nashville Business College team player and one other, the USA in an attempt to prepare for the World Championship played and won all five of its exhibition games in South America. The USA team then went on to Santiago, Chile, and led by the play of Katherine Washington, emerged from the first world Championship with a 5-1 record and the World title.

The games were held in Chile's national stadium on a specially built wooden platform and with seating for 35,000. In its only game of the preliminary round, the USA qualified for the six team final round by virtue of its 60-28 win over Paraguay.

Opening the final round competition facing France, the USA fought its way to a four-point victory, 41-37.

Leading Argentina by a single point at halftime, 16-15, the U.S. dominated the second half to capture a 34-22 win. Brazil tripped up the U.S., defeating the Americans 29-23 and limiting the USA women to just seven first-half points. Holding Paraguay to six points in the first half to take command 21-6, the U.S. went on to post a 41-31 victory.

Meeting host Chile in the last game of the final round, both teams entered the contest with identical 3-1 records. Playing in front of a crowd reported to number 30,000, the U.S. jumped out to a 26-19 halftime lead and maintained the momentum in the second half to claim a 49-36 victory and the World Championship title.

By claiming top honors in the World Championship, the U.S. earned the huge World Championship trophy. However, because of its size, the U.S. team was unable to bring it home. The trophy was even too big to fit through the bomb bay doors of a U.S. B-17!

1953 USA Women's World Championship Cumulative Statistics