herstoryWNY

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herstoryWNY

herstoryWNYherstoryWNYherstoryWNY
Home
Basketball
High Schools
Running/Track & Field
Adaptive Sports
Hockey
More
  • Home
  • Basketball
  • High Schools
  • Running/Track & Field
  • Adaptive Sports
  • Hockey
  • Home
  • Basketball
  • High Schools
  • Running/Track & Field
  • Adaptive Sports
  • Hockey

connecting the voices of women in sports

connecting the voices of women in sportsconnecting the voices of women in sportsconnecting the voices of women in sportsconnecting the voices of women in sports

Join us in documenting the stories of women who played and coached in WNY!

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herstoryWNY

Our Mission

Herstory WNY aims to preserve and amplify the rich history of girls and women’s sports in Western New York through an oral history archive. This project will capture interviews with athletes, coaches, and administrators, sharing the experiences of the women who impacted the regional sports landscape. 

Herstory WNY will provide cultural context by filling a critical gap in the history of women’s sports, ensuring that these voices are not lost but celebrated for their role in shaping access and opportunity in sports while inspiring future generations of athletes. 

visit the digital archive

Supported and hosted by St. Bonaventure University Archives
Explore the Interview Archives

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New and featured interviews

Tara VanDerveer

Tara VanDerveer graduated from Buffalo Seminary in 1971. After coaching stops at Idaho and Ohio State (where she coached Buffalo native Yvette Angel), Tara took over the women’s basketball program at Stanford, building a powerhouse over 38 years with three NCAA championships. She retired in 2024 with 1,216 career wins. She is a member of the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame, the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Jessica Jenkins

Jessica Jenkins played women's basketball at St. Bonaventure from 2008 to 2012, the most successful four-year span in program history. Her freshman year, the Bonnies earned their first postseason appearance in the Division I era, advanced into the quarterfinals of the WNIT.   Her senior season, the Bonnies went 31-4 overall, 14-10 in the Atlantic 10, and were ranked as high as 19th in the Associated Press poll. The team advanced to the Sweet 16 in the program's first NCAA Division I tournament a

Dr. Gail Maloney

Dr. Gail Maloney coached women’s basketball at Buffalo State from 1978-2000. In 31 total years at Buffalo State she also served as Assistant Athletics Director, Senior Associate Athletics Director and Senior Women‘s Administrator. Gail earned her Ph.D. in Social Foundations of Education-History of Education from the University at Buffalo in 1995 with a dissertation titled: The Impact of Title IX on Women’s Intercollegiate Athletics. 

Katie lawton

Katie Lawton grew up in Lakewood, N.Y. and was a standout swimmer and track athlete at Southwestern High School. A graduate of the University at Buffalo medical school, Katie’s athletic life took a turn after a camping accident. Over the last five years, she has explored the world of adaptive sports, finding new opportunities and a new way to relate to the world of athletics. 

Share Your Stories

Want to participate? Click here to share your story!

special Thanks to the following:

Jandoli School of Communication

St. Bonaventure University Archives

St. Bonaventure University Archives

The Jandoli School of Communication at St. Bonaventure University is the research home of Herstory WNY.

St. Bonaventure University Archives

St. Bonaventure University Archives

St. Bonaventure University Archives

The St. Bonaventure University Archives serves as the digital home and research support for Herstory WNY.

Western New York's Public Libraries

St. Bonaventure University Archives

Western New York's Public Libraries

Thanks in particular to the Julia Boyer Reinstein Library and Lockport Public Library for hosting interview recordings.

in the community

Herstory WNY will be out and about in the region, uplifting women and girls in sports while sharing our mission to preserve the stories that connect female athletes across generations.

No upcoming events.

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