Slam Dunk - Dunking in Women's Play

Dunking in Women's Play

Dunking is much less common in women's basketball than in men's play. This is because women generally have lower reach and less leaping ability. The average woman college basketball player can leap about 19 inches (48 cm) high, compared to more than 28 inches (71 cm) for their male counterparts. This gap in leaping ability opens during puberty, but can possibly be reduced through moderate resistance training during that period. Dunking is slightly more common in practice, but many coaches advise against it in competitive play because of the risks of injury or failing to score.

Georgeann Wells, as a 6'7" junior playing for West Virginia University became the first woman to score a slam dunk in women's collegiate play, in a game against the University of Charleston on December 21, 1984. While a senior in high school, future Baylor University standout Brittney Griner dunked 52 times in 32 games; in one game she even set a single-game record of seven dunks. While in college, Griner became the seventh player to dunk during a women's college basketball game, and only the second woman to dunk twice in a single college game.

In WNBA play, a total of six dunks have been scored. Lisa Leslie of the Los Angeles Sparks was the first to score a dunk, on July 30, 2002 against the Miami Sol. Leslie also scored the second dunk in WNBA history on July 9, 2005. Other professional women's players who have scored dunks are Michelle Snow, Candace Parker (twice), and Sylvia Fowles.

At London 2012, Liz Cambage became the first woman to slam dunk in the Olympics, scoring for the Australian Opals against Russia.