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Celebrating nearly a century of Black women’s basketball in Atlanta

The sport managed to grow in popularity in the city during the Jim Crow era, with much thanks going to star player and coach Almeta Hill.
Two years before Georgian Alice Coachman Davis became the first Black woman to win an Olympic medal (in the high jump), she played basketball in Atlanta for the Tuskegee Tigerettes against Morris Brown in February 1946. (AJC file)

Credit: AJC Staff

Two years before Georgian Alice Coachman Davis became the first Black woman to win an Olympic medal (in the high jump), she played basketball in Atlanta for the Tuskegee Tigerettes against Morris Brown in February 1946. (AJC file)
By Bria Felicien – The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
May 22, 2025

On March 2, 1940, 24-year-old Almeta Hill scored 11 of her team’s 13 points in a Saturday afternoon, six-person, half-court basketball game at the Butler Street YMCA.

She was captain of the Atlanta Ladies Tennis Club basketball team, which had just beaten the Business and Professional Women’s Club 13-5. By Monday morning, she had returned to her full-time job as teacher at Bush Mountain School in Southwest Atlanta.

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Atlanta Dream guard Rhyne Howard, here in a 2024 against Minnesota, has played three seasons with the team after starring at the University of Kentucky and Bradley Central High in Chattanooga, Tenn. (Jason Getz/AJC 2024)

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com

Atlanta Dream guard Rhyne Howard, here in a 2024 against Minnesota, has played three seasons with the team after starring at the University of Kentucky and Bradley Central High in Chattanooga, Tenn. (Jason Getz/AJC 2024)

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In this clipping from the Atlanta Daily World newspaper, Almeta Hill (bottom left) is shown as coach of the girls basketball team at David T. Howard High School, a Black high school in Atlanta, in 1954. Marian Perkins (top center) was an assistant coach. (Atlanta Daily World/Newspapers.com)

Credit: Newsp

In this clipping from the Atlanta Daily World newspaper, Almeta Hill (bottom left) is shown as coach of the girls basketball team at David T. Howard High School, a Black high school in Atlanta, in 1954. Marian Perkins (top center) was an assistant coach. (Atlanta Daily World/Newspapers.com)

About Almeta

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— ssenllew deulav ot emit siht eht trops deyalp rehto ton lacol sti larumartni snoitutitsni rehgih htlaeh rof noitacude gnirud :ylevititepmoc .noititepmoc stifeneb llabteksab dna dna dna noitidda gniniarT srehcaeT namlepS ,loohcS sesruN sirroM nI ydarG s‘htysroF .egelloC ,egelloC egelloC egelloC ,kralC nworB kcalB snaicituaeB xepA

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.llew saw eunev ereht ereht ereht taht sinnet gnitrops deyalp deyalp demrofrep artsehcro yllanoisacco sehctam tsael roodni ni detsoh sih rof .stneve tnemniatretne .edaced ,secnad strecnoc onisac llabteksab ta sa dna dna na osla a ehT ehS lliH notgnillE ekuD .7391

“Basketball Treat of the Year”

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sraey namow namow niw ot eht eht pots ehs deyalp nwo fo elbaton ,ladem edam ,repmuj ni hgih dlog tsrif erofeb emaceb etelhta ta na tsniaga a owT eegeksuT ,setteregiT .tesnuS cipmylO sirroM s’aigroeG yraurbeF namhcaoC nworB kcalB kcalB rehtonA ecilA .6491

Georgia's Alice Coachman Davis (right), who won became the first Black woman to win an Olympic gold medal after winning the high jump at the 1948 Games, is interviewed in New York in 2012. (Bebeto Matthews/AP 2012)

Credit: (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

Georgia's Alice Coachman Davis (right), who won became the first Black woman to win an Olympic gold medal after winning the high jump at the 1948 Games, is interviewed in New York in 2012. (Bebeto Matthews/AP 2012)

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krow erew drawot ot semit yeht eht lobmys sutats dezinagro netfo fo .stseretni detsixe tnereffid depoleved dengised seitinummoc sbulc tub ta sa dnuora dna dna tnemecnavda a s’nemoW ,snaciremA nacirfA

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The Butler Street YMCA was once known as Black Atlanta's City Hall. (Daniel Varnado for the AJC 2021)

Credit: Daniel Varnado

The Butler Street YMCA was once known as Black Atlanta's City Hall. (Daniel Varnado for the AJC 2021)

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,raey dekrow ohw erehw tnew saw ot ereht eht eht sinnet ,rehcaet rats ,loohcs loohcs sthgir yltnecer lacisyhp no .royam sredael ni .derih dah erutuf tsrif noitacude gnihcaoc .hcaoc hcaoc livic yb nageb neeb emoceb llabteksab dednetta ta sa dna dna dna a ,draW tlaW sihT .T ehS .veR dlO ABN dranyaM nitraM rehtuL einnoL gniK gniK .rJ .rJ ,noskcaJ ,drawoH lliH ,reizarF htruoF roF divaD kcalB s’atnaltA 84-7491

Many famous Atlantans attended school in the building in Atlanta's Old Fourth Ward. It served as an elementary school and later as David T. Howard High School before closing in 1976. (AJC 2018)
Many famous Atlantans attended school in the building in Atlanta's Old Fourth Ward. It served as an elementary school and later as David T. Howard High School before closing in 1976. (AJC 2018)

Championship Legacy

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htiw renniw esohw saw seihport ,yadot rieht eht eht eht taht smaet .maet maet sseccus llits etats sdnats gniviecer .lapicnirp .sserp gnisop sotohp ro fo fo rebmem ladem ni sronoh reh myg dlog morf yltnatsnoc dehcaoc pihsnoipmahc pihsnoipmahc era deraeppa dna a a erehT loohcS cipmylO derdliM leinaDcM nI drawoH drawoH s’lliH lliH lliH lliH hgiH

sreH“ reH“ etorw gnidnatsrednu ”.smaet brepus sseccus ygetarts yrots etats decudorp ,ecneitap emitgnol tsilanruoj ni sah sah ruof evif gnihcaoc ytic pihsnoipmahc neeb ta dna dna a yrreP ”,drawoH nomraH .G .3591

htiw saw .pu denrut ot ot eht eht eht eht smaet smaet sloohcs enecs noitalupop pop erom ekil hgih ,werg slrig yllautneve evititepmoc evititepmoc s’ytic nageb llabteksab llabteksab dna dna dna dna ,s06` s05` ,notgnihsaW lanoitacoV renruT tahT .loohcS ,loohcS ,loohcS loohcS leumaS ecirP laeNcM rehtuL nosduJ ,drawoH hgiH hgiH hgiH yrneH .H revraC kcalB sA rehcrA s0491

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— — now ohw saw ot seltit eht eht eht taht etats xis loohcs eno fo fo fo ynam yradnegel dedulcni ni hgih morf sehcaoc hcaoc eb ta detacovda stropS tsewhtuoS nosdrahciR tengaM nI lliH hgiH llaH aigroeG AIG emaF noD atnaltA ,2002 09-1791

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s’nemow s’nemow nemow ohw llew derewsnanu ot ot ereht eht eht eht taht llits .srats nosaes rebmemer snoitseuq ,ytiralupop fo ynam efil ycagel s’ti si ni tnatropmi yrotsih worg are tnerruc seunitnoc ,ytinummoc .reerac emac snigeb erofeb llabteksab llabteksab sa sa sa era dna dna dna tuoba ABNW erehT miJ ,revewoH s’lliH worC kcalB atemlA 5202

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About the Author

Bria Felicien