Back then, women’s basketball looked nothing close to what it is today. Rather, it was limited to the collegiate level, so athletes had to fly off to play overseas after their graduation. However, the 1996 Atlanta Olympics came as the turning point for the survival of women’s basketball with the gold medal victory validating the birth of the WNBA. Another turning point was this show where the 1996 Team USA members like Sheryl Swoopes, Dawn Staley, Rebecca Lobo, and Teresa Edwards appeared.

In the recent episode of Gilbert Arenas’ podcast, Sheryl Swoopes talked about their iconic appearance on the Martin show’s episode titled Bangin’ Hard in the School Yard and its impact in uplifting the popularity of the WNBA.

Sharing insights of that incredible experience she said, “It was fun, I was always a huge Martin fan. That was probably one of the first like TV shows we did in ’96 for the Olympic team. It was hard for me cause I laughed the entire time when I was supposed to be somewhat serious and cold. It was cool though, it was fun.”

In response to this, Arenas shared his experience from the time and called their appearance on the show a very powerful thing for women’s basketball. He further added that he was a Martin fan, and this was the reason why he bought the USA women’s jersey, in the first place.

Sheryl Swoopes reasoned how their cameo positively impacted women’s basketball and said, “No doubt ’cause no one really was paying attention to women’s basketball like that. And I don’t even know if they really did when we were playing, but everybody talks about that Martin episode.”

Interestingly, it was Sheryl Swoopes who was having fun during the practice takes on the set. But, how did the show pave the way for the WNBA?

The Martin show – a conjunction between Team USA and the world

This crossover between Team USA and the show added depth to the history of the WNBA as it aired around 8 months before WNBA’s inaugural season. Moreover, it became a medium that introduced the world to the Team USA players who later on went on to play as professional basketball athletes in the WNBA, a huge accomplishment in its own right!

This exemplified the impact and influence the 1996 Olympic team had in taking women’s basketball to the next level. Earlier, the college women’s basketball stars would easily fade away after their collegiate careers were over.

However, this time they were back again after they stole countless hearts with their stellar display at the international event, marking the first milestone of their consecutive gold-winning streak at the Olympics. Hence, Team USA’s presence at the show indicated that the times had changed and left an impactful mark on professional women’s basketball which today we call the WNBA in its glory.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger