A bit of basketball history is going to play out Sunday, March 9, before the Stockton Kings basketball game. And the name alone should pique enough interest to pack the stands.
It’s the Granny Basketball League.
The 10-minute exhibition game between the California Poppies and the Columbia Gold Diggers features women 50 and older playing in throwback uniforms — bloomers, sailor-style blouses and long stockings — and vintage rules. The six-on-six games are an homage to the 1920s, when women’s basketball loomed large in the Midwest — long before the WNBA and superstars like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese.
The Granny League began in 2005 when Barbara Trammell said her father recounted the popularity of women’s basketball in her native Iowa. Intrigued, Trammel started the league, which since has grown to 53 teams in 10 states. They have names like The Hot Flashes of Emporia, Kansas; the Desert Geckos in Phoenix; and Cowtown Heifers in Fort Worth, Texas.
“I was looking for a way to exercise, but I didn’t like aerobics or any of that kind of stuff,” Trammell said. “Only thing I really like to do is play basketball, but there wasn’t anything for older women.”
When she moved to Columbia, California, four years ago, near Sonora, she organized teams there. The Golden State now hosts three teams, including the two playing Sunday.
Playing for the Poppies at age 80, Trammel is both the oldest player and coach in California, but she’s not the oldest in the league. That distinction goes to a 92-year-old in Kansas.
While the granny games are plenty of fun, don’t expect any slam dunks.
Following the century-old rules, the court is divided into thirds. Each of the teams fields two players in each third, and they aren’t allowed to venture out of their space. Other than a maximum of two dribbles, players can only pass to move the ball down the court. There’s no running, jumping or touching.
“We don’t want old ladies falling down,” Trammell said.
While the minimum age of the players would indicate many are indeed grannies, that’s not how the league gets its name. Rather, it’s because of the underhanded “granny shot” that counts for three points when it passes through the hoop in this league.
The games make for great viewing, Trammel said, because players don’t crowd together like they do in professional basketball. Spectators can actually see all the action.
Trammell said she hopes Sunday’s exhibition game, starting at 1:20 p.m., will build enthusiasm and lead to more league teams.
The grannies’ game can be viewed by anyone holding a ticket for the Kings’ match against the San Diego Clippers at Adventist Health Arena, which can be purchased online, with prices starting at $23.50.