1976 US Women’s Olympic Team

When the United States women’s national team arrived at Montreal’s Olympic Village in the summer of 1976, a single, unremarkable two-bedroom flat greeted the 12 women who were about to change the history of basketball forever. Bunkbeds and cramped quarters be damned, the mission was clear: Turn women’s basketball into a major player in the world of sports. Backed by a roster that included Lusia Harris, Ann Meyers, and Nancy Lieberman, along with co-captains Pat Head (Summitt) and Juliene Simpson, and coached by Billie Moore and assisted by Sue Gunter, the Americans were poised to prove they belonged. Simpson orchestrated from the point. Harris led the team in scoring and rebounding. Meyers added 9 points and a team-high 5 assists per game. Nancy Dunkle poured in 13 points per contest. The underdog Americans took three out of five games in the round-robin tournament to secure the silver medal. These trailblazers, pioneers, and forerunners ushered in the dawn of a new era for women’s basketball.