Ora Washington facts for kids
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| Country (sports) |  United States |
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| Born | 1898 or 1899 Caroline County, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | December 21, 1971 (aged 71–73) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
Ora Belle Washington (born around 1899 – died December 21, 1971) was an amazing American athlete. She grew up in the Germantown area of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Ora was incredibly talented in both tennis and basketball.
She was so good that Black newspapers called her "Queen Ora" and the "Queen of Two Courts." She was honored for her skills by being added to the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009. Later, in 2018, she was also inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Some experts, like tennis legend Arthur Ashe, even believed she might have been one of the greatest tennis players of all time.
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Early Life and Moving North
Ora Washington was born in Virginia around 1899. She was one of nine children. Her family owned a farm where they grew crops and raised animals. Life was tough, and many African American families like hers moved north to find better opportunities. This big move was part of something called the Great Migration.
In the mid-1910s, Ora moved to Germantown, Philadelphia, where her aunt lived. She might have gone to high school there. By 1920, she was working as a housekeeper.
A Star Athlete Emerges
Tennis Triumphs
After her sister passed away, Ora found a new place to feel at home: the YWCA in Germantown. This YWCA opened in 1918 for Black community members. Ora started playing tennis on their courts in the early 1920s.
She quickly became a champion.
- In 1924, she won the city championships in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles in Wilmington, Delaware.
- The next year, she beat the national African American singles champion, Isadore Channels.
- Ora won her first national title in 1925 in doubles with Lula Ballard. This was at the all-Black American Tennis Association (ATA) tournament. She kept winning this doubles title for the next eleven years!
- In 1929, she won her first singles championship. She would win this title seven more times by 1937.
Ora had a unique way of playing tennis. She was right-handed but held her racket in the middle of the grip, like a baseball player. She also liked short warm-ups, saying she'd "warm up as I went along." People described her as a smart and strong player. They noticed her fierce competitiveness and powerful overhead shots. Her amazing foot speed, which she got from playing basketball, was a big advantage on the tennis court.
In 1938, Ora announced she would stop playing singles tennis. People wondered why, since she was still so dominant. She explained that being a champion for too long brought a lot of criticism. She preferred the challenge of fighting to become a champion. Ora was a focused and professional player.
After Ora retired from singles, Flora Lomax won the title in 1938. The press tried to create a rivalry between them. Some even said Ora retired because she didn't want to play Lomax. This made Ora come out of retirement! The next summer, she easily beat Lomax in a tournament. Ora made it clear why she returned: "Certain people said certain things last year. I just had to go up to Buffalo to prove somebody was wrong."
Basketball Dominance
Ora Washington also wanted to play in the United States Lawn Tennis Association tournaments. However, that organization kept its rule of racial segregation until 1948. By then, Ora had already retired from tennis. She stopped playing sports completely in the mid-1940s.
Ora started playing basketball in 1930 with the Germantown Hornets. This team was first sponsored by the same YWCA that introduced her to tennis. The Hornets had an amazing 22–1 record, earning them the national female title. As they became more popular, they became a professional team.
The next year, Ora led the Hornets to 33 wins in a row! They played against other Black women's teams, white women's teams, and sometimes even Black men's teams. In one exciting game in 1932, the Hornets beat a men's team called the Quicksteppers with a last-second shot.
From 1932 to 1942, Ora played for the Philadelphia Tribune Girls. She was their center, top scorer, and even their coach! The Tribune Girls won 11 straight Women's Colored Basketball World's Championships. People called Ora "the best Colored player in the world."
Later Life and Legacy
Throughout her amazing sports career and for the rest of her life, Ora Washington worked as a housekeeper. She never married. She lived with family members and friends. Ora passed away in 1971 after a long illness. She was buried in her hometown in Virginia.
Honors and Tributes
Ora Washington's incredible achievements have been remembered and celebrated.
- In the mid-1980s, she was inducted into Temple University's Sports Hall of Fame.
- A special state historical marker stands in Philadelphia at 6128 Germantown Avenue. This is where the Colored YWCA was, where Ora taught and played. Today, it's home to the Settlement Music School.
- In 2009, Ora was elected to the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in Knoxville, Tennessee.
- On March 31, 2018, it was announced that she would be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2018.
- On July 31, 2019, a statue inspired by Ora, called "MVP," was added to Smith Playground in Philadelphia's Fairmount Park.
See also
- Basketball in the United States
- Germantown, Philadelphia
- Women's tennis in the United States
