The love of basketball for Dr. Willa Faye Mason started in Siloam Springs in the 1940’s.
She eventually earned a spot on the All-American Red Heads, America’s first ladies pro team.
They played globetrotter style charity games against men and won most of them.
The team was appropriate because Faye grew up with red hair, and her nickname was Red.
The Red Heads played a six-month long season. It was a different town, and a new game every night. Red Mason was point guard setting up the taller girls and knocking down her two-handed set shot.
It was rare in those days for women to play basketball, much less, well enough to beat the men.
Not many sports fans these days know about the Red Heads and their contributions to the game, but all that is changing now.
The Red Heads were recently inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
After her career with the Red Heads, she was Women's Coach at Northeastern State in Tahlequah for almost 20 years, and she's in their Hall of Fame too.
Faye is retired now in Siloam Springs and she's sharp as a tack.
While the pictures of her glory days may be in black and white, her memories are still bright red and in living color.
