"When I think of pioneering basketball players, I think of the women who were the first to earn scholarships after the adoption of Title lX.

So, I was stunned to learn that not only were women playing basketball from the game's inception in 1891, but that a group of women who participated in one of our country's most embarrassing programs — Indian boarding schools — played the game so well they were recognized by World's Fair officials as champions in 1904.

The most enticing aspect of "Full Court Quest" is the confluence of historical events that made the achievements of these 10 American Indian women possible.

First, there was the development of Indian boarding schools, not something that most Native Americans view as a positive experience or influence.

Then there was the creation of the game of basketball by James Naismith, who was trying to find an activity for the youth at the YMCA during the winter.

And there was the decision to hold the World's Fair, commemorating the Louisiana Purchase, in St. Louis and to feature a model Indian boarding school. It was there the women displayed their talents, both athletic and artistic, to the world stage that usually wouldn't have been available to them."

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'Full Court Press' honors tenacity of tribal team (The Salt Lake City Deseret News 12/15)