IMPORTANCE OF REMEMBERING WHERE YOU CAME FROM LONG BEFORE THE DAYS OF CAITLIN CLARK AND THE IOWA WOMEN, GIRLS IN THIS STATE PLAYED A GAME SIMILAR TO THE ONE RIGHT HERE BEHIND ME. YOU CANNOT DRIBBLE THE BASKETBALL MORE THAN TWO TIMES. OKAY? YOU CANNOT DRIBBLE THE BASKETBALL MORE THAN TWO TIMES. THE WAUKEE GIRLS BASKETBALL TEAM AT FIRST ALMOST COULDN’T BELIEVE THE SIX ON SIX BASKETBALL RULES. YOUR DRIBBLES GOOD, BUT PRIOR TO 1993, THIS WAS THE GAME THE GIRLS TEAMS WOULD PLAY. WE’VE HAD A STATE TOURNAMENT SINCE 1920. IT’S THE LONGEST RUNNING. GIRLS STATE TOURNAMENT IN THE COUNTRY AND CERTAINLY ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR. THE STATE TOURNAMENT WAS SOLD OUT. I MEAN, VERY MUCH VERY COMPARABLE TO HOW THE IOWA WOMEN HAVE BEEN TRAVELING THIS YEAR, GOING FROM PLACE TO PLACE. OUR SIX PLAYER TOURNAMENT WAS VERY SIMILAR. IT WAS VERY HARD TO GET TICKETS ON SIX ON SIX. ALL WE DID WAS FUNDAMENTALS. THAT’S ALL WE DID. AND I MEAN, IF I DRIBBLED BEHIND THE BACKER BETWEEN MY LEGS, I YOU KNOW, HAD TO RUN LAPS OR SOMETHING. RONDA PENQUITE GREW UP. PLAYING SIX ON SIX FOR ANKENY AS A HAWK BEFORE PLAYING COLLEGE BALL AT GRANDVIEW, UNLV AND ORAL ROBERTS. THIS IS A HALL OF FAME RING. IOWANS LOVE FOR GIRLS AND WOMEN’S BASKETBALL IS WHAT SHE SAYS BROUGHT A PROFESSIONAL TEAM TO DES MOINES IN THE LATE 70S, WHERE SHE PLAYED FOR THE IOWA CORNETS. IT WAS GOING, ACTUALLY, THE IOWA CORNETS. WE WERE THE ONLY ONES THAT OUR PAYCHECKS DIDN’T BOUNCE ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK. DESPITE THE CORNY NAME, PENQUITE BELIEVES IOWANS ADMIRATION FOR THE GAME BACK THEN IS ONE OF THE BUILDING BLOCKS THAT GOT IT TO WHERE IT IS NOW. THE HAWKEYE WOMEN IN THE FINAL FOUR, THE WOMEN’S TOURNAMENT SURPASSING THE MEN’S AND TICKET PRICES AND INTEREST LEVEL. IT’S JUST SO EXCITING AND IT’S SO MUCH FUN TO WATCH THEM PLAY, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY’RE FIRING ON ALL CYLINDERS LIKE THEY HAVE THE LAST COUPLE OF GAMES. YOU KNOW? HERE WE GO. AS THE NEXT GENERATION EMERGES ONTO THIS NEW MASSIVE STAGE. IT WAS WEIRD, BUT IT WAS FUN. SAME BOTH. IT’S IMPORTANT THAT THEY KNOW HOW IT GOT TO THIS LEVEL. I FEEL LIKE THERE’S A LOT MORE STRATEGY ON THREE ON THREE BECAUSE IT’S OR SIX ON SIX BECAUSE THERE’S ONLY THREE PEOPLE ON OFFENSE. SO IT WASN’T ALWAYS DEEP THREES. AND POINT GUARDS DRIBBLING AROUND THE COURT. IT WAS A DIFFERENT STYLE OF BASKETBALL THAT BUILT THE GAME INTO WHAT IT IS TODAY, A GAME THAT MANY IOWANS LOVED AND ONE NOT TO BE FORGOTTEN. IT WAS A LOT, A LOT OF FUN. I KIND O
6-on-6: The game that shaped girls and women's basketball
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Updated: 7:22 PM CDT Apr 4, 2024
Long before the days of Caitlin Clark and the Iowa women's basketball team, girls in Iowa played a modified basketball game called 6-on-6.Each team would have three players on each side of the court. Forwards on offense, guards on defense. Players could only dribble the ball twice before passing or shooting. Prior to 1993, it was extremely popular, especially in Iowa."We've had a state tournament since 1920," said Jason Eslinger with the Iowa High School Girls Athletic Union — the only girls athletic union separate from the boys in the country. "The state tournament was sold out very comparable to how the Iowa women have been traveling this year going from place to place. Our six-player tournament was very similar, it was very hard to get tickets," Eslinger said.Rhonda Penquite grew up playing 6-on-6 for Ankeny as a Hawkette before playing college ball at Grand View, UNLV and Oral Roberts."In 6-on-6, all we did was fundamentals; that's all we did, I mean, if I dribbled behind my back or between my legs, I had to run laps or something," Penquite said, jokingly.Iowans' love for girls and women's basketball is what she says brought a professional team to Des Moines in the late 70s — where she played for the Iowa Cornets of the Women's Basketball League.Despite the corny name, Penquite believes Iowans' admiration for the game back then is one of the building blocks that got it to where it is now with the Hawkeye women in the Final Four and the Women's NCAA Tournament surpassing the men's in ticket prices and interest level."It's just so exciting and it's so much fun to watch them play especially when they're firing on all cylinders like they have the last couple games," Penquite said of the Hawkeye superstars.Related video: Iowa Cornet 'Machine Gun Molly' blazed the trail for women's basketball stars like Caitlin ClarkHawkeyes in the Final Four:What to know about UConn, the Hawkeyes' Final Four opponentIowa vs. UConn: How to watch Caitlin Clark and the Hawkeyes in the Final Four More Hawkeyes coverage:Round 1: Hawkeyes run away from Holy CrossMarch Madness: Highlights and photos from Iowa's win over Holy CrossRound of 32: Hawkeyes survive to top West Virginia, 64-54March Madness: Highlights and photos from Iowa-West VirginiaSweet 16: Hawkeyes have no problem with Colorado, set up rematch vs. LSUMarch Madness: Highlights and photos from Iowa-Colorado in the Sweet 16Elite Eight: Clark leads Iowa back to Final Four, scoring 41 points in win over LSU
DES MOINES, Iowa — Long before the days of Caitlin Clark and the Iowa women's basketball team, girls in Iowa played a modified basketball game called 6-on-6.
Each team would have three players on each side of the court. Forwards on offense, guards on defense. Players could only dribble the ball twice before passing or shooting.
Prior to 1993, it was extremely popular, especially in Iowa.
"We've had a state tournament since 1920," said Jason Eslinger with the Iowa High School Girls Athletic Union — the only girls athletic union separate from the boys in the country.
"The state tournament was sold out very comparable to how the Iowa women have been traveling this year going from place to place. Our six-player tournament was very similar, it was very hard to get tickets," Eslinger said.
Rhonda Penquite grew up playing 6-on-6 for Ankeny as a Hawkette before playing college ball at Grand View, UNLV and Oral Roberts.
"In 6-on-6, all we did was fundamentals; that's all we did, I mean, if I dribbled behind my back or between my legs, I had to run laps or something," Penquite said, jokingly.
Iowans' love for girls and women's basketball is what she says brought a professional team to Des Moines in the late 70s — where she played for the Iowa Cornets of the Women's Basketball League.
Despite the corny name, Penquite believes Iowans' admiration for the game back then is one of the building blocks that got it to where it is now with the Hawkeye women in the Final Four and the Women's NCAA Tournament surpassing the men's in ticket prices and interest level.
"It's just so exciting and it's so much fun to watch them play especially when they're firing on all cylinders like they have the last couple games," Penquite said of the Hawkeye superstars.
Related video: Iowa Cornet 'Machine Gun Molly' blazed the trail for women's basketball stars like Caitlin Clark
Hawkeyes in the Final Four:
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