Queens on the Court

The Wayland Baptist Flying Queens hold the longest winning streak in college basketball history, with 131 consecutive victories. This remarkable record from the 1950s remains unequaled by any men’s or women’s team, yet their influential story has been left largely undocumented and forgotten.

In Queens on the Court, Dace Caldwell Martinez chronicles the unlikely journey of young women from poor, rural families and their trailblazing path to success at a small Texas college. Long before Title IX, the Flying Queens defied expectations, traveling the country and world to compete at the highest levels. In 1957, mere days after the launch of Sputnik, members from the team faced the Soviet Union in the FIBA World Championship finals, becoming some of the first women to represent the United States on an international stage. With exclusive interviews and archival photos, Queens on the Court explores the players’ personal struggles, triumphs, love, and loss both on and off the court. As women’s basketball surges in popularity, fueled by stars like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, Queens on the Court shines a light on the women who bucked societal norms to play the game they loved, ultimately changing it forever.

Praise for Queens on the Court

“As interest in women’s basketball explodes across the country, there’s so much more to learn about the history of the women’s game. Enter Dace Caldwell Martinez and her riveting and meticulously researched new book, Queens on the Court. It’s a wonderful journey back to a different place and time, a compelling story that should be told—and now, finally is.”
—Christine Brennan, USA Today columnist and author of the New York Times bestseller On Her Game

“Imagine A League of Their Own meets Hoosiers: A group of small-town young women from modest means makes sports history. Thanks to Dace Caldwell Martinez’s prodigious research and reporting, Queens on the Court is more than a compelling sports story. We get to know this forgotten dynasty’s leading characters on and off the court, see what makes them tick, and learn their fears and aspirations, as they face not only formidable basketball opponents but also powerful social and political forces.”
—Bill Colson, former managing editor of Sports Illustrated

“Rooted in the rich history of women’s basketball, Queens on the Court is an epic sports story unlike any other! Dace Caldwell Martinez’s wonderfully detailed research uncovers the hidden sacrifices, fierce rivalries, and outstanding sportsmanship that propelled the Wayland Baptist Flying Queens to global fame. After all, the court was more than a stage for glory—it was a means for these women to find hope and survive.”
—Lydia Reeder, author of Dust Bowl Girls and The Cure for Women