Thirty years ago, the WNBA gave women’s basketball a new professional stage. When the league began in 1997, eight teams took the court, creating opportunities for generations of players to pursue basketball at the highest level. Three decades later, that history is closely connected to UTC women’s basketball through former players, coaches, and families.
“The history of Chattanooga women’s basketball is the history of women’s basketball,” Chattanooga Head Coach Deandra Schirmer said. “We have players who have participated in that from UTC, and we’re really proud of it.”
One of the strongest connections is Lady Hardman Grooms, the mother of current Mocs junior Gabbie Grooms. Lady was part of the WNBA’s inaugural draft in 1997 and played professionally until 2005.
For Gabbie, her mother’s story has made the WNBA’s history personal.
“My mom, her name is Lady Hardman Grooms, and she was in the first inaugural draft,” Gabbie said. “She played till 2005 when I was born.”
Lady was in Italy when the draft took place, watching as player after player was selected without hearing her own name. She continued telling herself that if she wasn’t drafted, she would try out. Eventually, her name was called with the final pick.
“She just boo-hoo cried,” Gabbie said. “Everybody was crying and she was just so happy.”
Who has played or coached in the league from Chattanooga?
Lady’s place in the league’s early history is part of a larger UTC connection. Alex Anderson became the first Chattanooga Women’s Basketball player selected in the WNBA draft when the San Antonio Silver Stars chose her in 2008. Taylor Hall and Laura Hall also earned opportunities through WNBA training-camp contracts.
The connection extends beyond players. Schirmer pointed to former WNBA player Debbie Black and Hall of Fame coach Jim Foster, whose career connected him to several players with ties to UTC and the WNBA, including Lady Grooms and Taylor Hill. Taylor is also the aunt of Chattanooga freshman Sinae Hill.
“My aunt Taylor, she played for the Washington Mystics and then she played for the Dallas Wings,” Sinae said.
Sinae remembers how her family rallied around Taylor’s professional career, traveling to watch her play and celebrating the moment together.
“My grandpa and grandma… made sure we’re gonna go support Taylor,” Sinae said. “They paved the way for us and our whole family.”
That family connection is part of a much larger women’s basketball community in the Chattanooga region. Schirmer also pointed to current and recent WNBA stars with ties to the area, including Rhyne Howard and Kamilla Cardoso, as examples of the talent that has come through the region and continued to the professional level.
The connections show how the WNBA’s growth has created a path that younger players can now see more clearly than previous generations could.
What the future holds
For Gabbie, watching her mother’s career has created a similar inspiration.
“It’s inspired me a lot just because as she grew up she loved basketball and she had a really big dream even when the WNBA wasn’t a thing,” Gabbie said.
Gabbie said her mother’s greatest impact has been what she has done for the generation that followed her.
“She’s giving back,” Gabbie said. “She’s always pouring into the next generation.”
That idea of generations is central to the relationship between UTC and the WNBA. Schirmer said the program takes its players to a WNBA game each year, giving them a chance to experience professional women’s basketball and imagine themselves in that environment.
The growth of the WNBA has only expanded those possibilities. As the league celebrates its 30th season, more opportunities are opening for players, coaches, administrators and other professionals in women’s basketball.
“It just creates all these jobs and environments of whether they want to go into professional women’s basketball as an admin, if they want to do it as a player,” Schirmer said. “That opens up a lot of opportunities.”
For Sinae, the opportunity is about more than simply reaching the professional level. Her aunt taught her that playing the sport she loves can outweigh the pressure that comes with competing at the highest level.
“She was like, when you’re actually playing the sport that you love and you’re playing it at the highest level, the pressure kind of just goes away,” Sinae said. “You’re kind of just doing it out of love and you’re doing it for the people that you love.”
From Lady Grooms being part of the WNBA’s first draft, to Anderson becoming UTC’s first WNBA draft selection, to Taylor Hill inspiring the next generation, Chattanooga’s connection to the league has always been about more than basketball.
It is about a legacy being passed from one generation to the next. As the WNBA celebrates 30 years, Chattanooga continues to be part of that legacy — and Schirmer hopes another Mocs player will eventually take the next step.
“We’d love to see a Moc represent UTC at the highest level sometime in the future,” Schirmer said.
