The Mighty Macs of Immaculata University played an unforgettable role in the history of women’s basketball, reports Nikki DeMentri for CBS News Philadelphia.
The Macs, Immaculata’s women’s basketball team, won the first-ever women’s national basketball championship in 1972 with their AIAW championship win. After breaking ground with this historic victory, the team repeated the feat with consecutive national championship titles in 1973 and 1974.
The team excelled under the leadership of coach Cathy Rush, who served as head women’s basketball coach at Immaculata from 1970 to 1977. In addition to the three consecutive AIAW titles, Rush led the team to six overall final four appearances across her seven-year tenure.
Reuniting in 2026, the Mighty Macs said they were shocked even to be invited to the first tournament in 1972 as a local university.
At the time, many players knew each other from high school. Through dedicated training and a shared focus on success, the team achieved landmark victories that brought national attention to women’s basketball.
Reflecting on the team and their trailblazing years, Mighty Mac Theresa Shank Grentz called the team “architects.” Grentz said, “Those other names, they can go. We’re architects. Engineers. We made this. We built it.”
Read more about the Mighty Macs and the team’s influence on women’s basketball in CBS News Philadelphia.
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