When Warriors Made History Drafting First-Ever Woman to NBA

It is fitting that the Warriors will be bringing the first-ever WNBA team to the Bay area for the 2025 season because they are the same organization that made NBA history by drafting the first woman to the league.

In 1969, the Milwaukee Bucks drafted Lew Alcindor with the first pick, commonly known today as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. And while Abdul-Jabbar would go down in history as one of the all-time greats, a six-time league MVP, six-time champion and Hall-of-Famer, the 175th overall pick and 13th round selection in his same draft class would make history of her own for far different reasons.

Denise Long was selected by the San Francisco Warriors with this pick, marking the first time that a woman was drafted to the NBA. Long was a 5’11 guard from Iowa, known for her lethal scoring ability. She became a legend in her hometown, scoring 100 points in a game on three different occasions and averaging 69 points per game in her senior season. Her locally televised games drew millions of viewers and she was inducted to the Iowa Girls Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975.

In addition to being the first-ever woman drafted, Long was also coming straight out of high school, which wasn’t allowed by the league at the time. Though the pick would be nullified by the commissioner, Long became the centerpiece of a professional women’s league started by then-Warriors Owner Franklin Mieuli.

Fifty-six years later, the Warriors will again be on the clock, selecting the players that will headline their inaugural WNBA season.