Tamryn Spruill
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Available on August 12, 2026!


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PUBLISHER

Abrams Press

ISBN
9781419758812

TRIM SIZE
6 x 9

PAGE COUNT
epic

RIGHTS
United States
Canada
Philippines

  • The W: A History of the WNBA
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Signed copies of THE W !

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Your $100 will be a game-winner for you and award-winning journalism. You get the book, personalized and signed, and a small gift. The rest goes to the HARD SCREEN, my independent reporting platform devoted to correcting records and giving historical context to current cultural events. 

This work isn't just a job; it's a calling. Now, more than ever I am convinced that it isn't just democracy riding on truth pursuits; humanity's survival depends on it. 
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From the Publisher:

A raucous roller-coaster history of the WNBA, from celebrated start-up to lean years, and on to the recent boom, from a passionate sports journalist

The history of the WNBA is an epic one, and in The W, journalist Tamryn Spruill tells the full thrilling story. This is a three-decade tale of tenacious athletes, devoted fans, and a vibrant, diverse league that struggled for years to find a firm footing in the wider sports culture.

When the WNBA launched to much fanfare in 1996, the nascent league was treated like a kid sister with a lot of potential. Eight teams collectively owned by the NBA played a short schedule during the men's offseason. Fans flocked to arenas to see stars Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie, and Rebecca Lobo, and the Houston Comets won their first of four consecutive championships. But television broadcasts were hard to find, the conversation around the league was often blatantly sexist, and less than a decade after their "four peat," the dynastic Comets had been disbanded and ceased to exist.

Social media helped players upend that dynamic, be their authentic selves, and engender change inside the league and beyond it. College stars became pros, legends broke records, and the women of the WNBA became undeniable. Thirty years after its founding, the time has more than come for this comprehensive account of the league, and the women whose drive, on-court and off, built the W.

Copyright  © 2026 Tamryn Spruill.
  • The W: A History of the WNBA
    • shop
  • about
    • contact