15 September 2023
TOPEKA (KSNT) – The annual Granny basketball tournament returned to Topeka’s SportsZone this weekend. The grannies love friendly competition, but to them, playing in this league means much more more than that.
Granny basketball is a six-on-six, old-school game for women 50 and up. Players wear 1920s style uniforms that feature blouses, bloomers and knee-high stockings.
“We’re really playing the way women used to play 100 years ago,” executive director Michele Clark said. “So for all of us, it’s a way to be on a team, play basketball again, or maybe for the first time, and just be able to celebrate the history of basketball for women’s sports.”
Each court is divided into three sections, and each team plays with two guards, two forwards and two centers, just like old times. The goal is to honor the history of women’s basketball while giving the players a chance to be both social and active.
“If I wasn’t doing this, I would probably be sitting home in a rocking chair and just be declining,” Pat Conner said. “So I think everybody should just be as active as they can. And I’m blessed with good health, so that helps too.”
At age 91, Pat is the oldest player in the tournament. She currently plays for the Kansas Tornadoes, and has been playing Granny basketball since 2015.
She said her health was declining several years ago, but since picking up Granny basketball, she now feels better each year. When asked about returning next season, Pat said she’s going to ‘live to be 100 and will still be on the court.’
Pool play started today, and bracket play starts tomorrow. Teams from Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma and Iowa are in a race for the championship game, which is tomorrow at 6 p.m.