From Dunking to Dead Ball

The Edmonton Commercial Graduates were one of the most successful basketball teams in Canadian history. This article examines the rise and the fall of the Edmonton Grads throughout the teams active years, 1915-1940, as well as the rise in popularity of women’s basketball in Canada as a spectator sport during the “Golden Age” of women’s sports. This article illustrates that early twentieth century political, social, and economic changes in Canada significantly impacted the popularity and success of the Edmonton Grads. This paper looks at the role of industrial capitalism, first-wave feminism, the Great Depression, and the start of the Second World War in Canada. This paper argues that the Edmonton Grads fundamentally changed Canadian women’s sports history.