RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesThe W will be published September 22. | Abrams Books.
Swish Appeal is thrilled to celebrate the forthcoming book by former editor-in-chief Tamryn Spruill. The W: A History of the WNBA will be published on September 22, 2026.
And its already been identified by the New York Times as one of the most-anticipated nonfiction books of 2026 . Congrats, Tamryn!
Before the book comes out, Tamryn took the time to catch up with Swish Appeal and provide insight into everything that went into this labor of love, from the challenges of the book writing process to the changes the book underwent along the way to how researching and writing about the history of the WNBA has influenced her understanding of what’s happening in the league today.
Tamryn, you served as the editor-in-chief of Swish Appeal for three years (possibly, three of the most uncertain and chaotic years in women’s basketball history, considering the COVID-19 pandemic, and all the sociopolitical reckonings it provoked, popped up in the middle of your tenure), stepped down in 2021 with the intent of completing your book, which was originally scheduled for a 2022 release, and now, here in 2026, that book is finally coming to fruition.
Can you explain where you’ve been, why the book has been delayed and anything else you’d like to share with curious Swish Appeal readers, from those who remember you and are thrilled to see your name again to those who might have become women’s basketball consumers since your de pature ?
It is surreal to be reemerging and reengaging after years with my nose to the grindstone. All the factors you mentioned contributed to the delay. Add in the work I was doing with Change.org in 2022: On March 5 th of that year, the New York Times was first to report on Brittney Griner’s detention in Russia. After Angel McCoughtry informed us via social media that her “homie” had already spent weeks behind bars at that point, I started the Change.org/FreeBG petition, advocating for her release.
Two months later, in May, Dani, my partner, and I made an abrupt move into her childhood home to help her mother, Susan, with daily living. Susan had been battling an aggressive form of brain cancer that was quickly taking away her vision. Not long after that, someone visiting her brought COVID-19 into the home. We all got really sick, but Susan’s immune system was compromised from chemotherapy and radiation. Before COVID-19, she was counting down the days toward a promising clinical trial she’d been enrolled in; her participation had to be postponed, though, pending her recovery from COVID-19 and a host of secondary infections.
At the start of July, Dani and I became in-home hospice caregivers to Susan, who didn’t live to see August.
I dedicated the book to Susan, whom I called Susu. She badly wanted to read the book. Even on her worst days, she’d return from treatment and immediately ask: “Did you finish your chapter? Have you heard any news about BG? Did you get feedback from your editor?” She was just a fiercely supportive, caring, and generous person.
The book is also dedicated to Nikki McCray-Penson, who I didn’t know personally, but who believed in me as an author, and in this project enough to advocate for it in my book proposal, which helped me to get a book deal. Nikki lost her long battle with breast cancer a year after Susu’s passing—almost to the day.
I am incredibly proud that this book exists and is finally making its way into the world. That Nikki and Susu aren’t here to see it is definitely bittersweet.
And obstacles weren’t finished with us yet! In October of 2022, my editor announced that she was moving to a different publishing house. Another editor got up to speed with my project and I embarked upon a total rewrite—because the book itself is the biggest reason that it took four additional years for The W to be finished.
There is no way to quickly do a book of this magnitude. For starters, no other comprehensive history of the WNBA exists. This being the first book of its kind left us with the prevailing goal of getting it right: turning a 30-year history into a well-paced narrative, allowing space for the players’ voices to resonate throughout, examining complex sociopolitical and cultural issues, grounding the work in archival and scholarly research, and balancing weighty discussions with the exciting, inspiring history being made on the courts. Getting it right, to me, meant naming as many contributors to the league as I could: every first-round draft pick, every award-winner, every milestone-maker, every player picked in second and lower rounds that went on to make a big name for themselves in the WNBA. This was necessary for a league that had, for at least two decades, been starved of coverage.
Originally, your book was to be titled ‘ COURT QUEENS: The WNBA’s Story of Power, Passion, and Perseverance On and Off the Court .’ It will now hit the shelves as ‘ The W: A History of the WNBA .’ What explains the change?
Yeah, I’d been using that title publicly, and one variation, since late-2020, when the book deal was first announced. Titles are not copyrightable, though, and another author and publisher took the title and got their book to print before we did. After pouring everything into this book for six solid years, the pilfering of my title was naturally gutting. But what seemed like a major setback turned into a ripe opportunity.
I have to admit, knowing your priorities as editor-in-chief of Swish Appeal , the original title, especially the original subtitle, seems more reflective of your work. Was this a marketing decision, by you, the publisher and/or both parties in collaboration? Did the content of the book change over time, requiring a title change?
Thank you for recognizing the prior title as an extension of my editorial priorities at Swish Appeal . I am so proud of the work we did during that time, and the impact i...
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