Lometa Odom didn't have trailblazing on her mind when Wayland Baptist women's basketball season opened in 1953.
"Heavens no, this trailblazing thing came up later. We all just simply loved playing basketball," said Odom, who grew up in Dimmitt and now lives in Amarillo.
The 1953-54 season opener of the then "Hutcherson Flying Queens" out of Plainview (now known as the Wayland Baptist Flying Queens) started simply and grew to legendary status in the sporting world.
The sophomore Odom and what she calls "a group of girls - I can't think of one I didn't like" began the 1953-54 season with a 51-31 win over Dowell's Dolls of Amarillo.
That victory started a streak of 131 consecutive wins lasting late into the 1957-58 season. The 131-game victory streak remains the longest in college and professional sports team history and included four consecutive AAU women's basketball championships.
To put things in perspective, the University of Connecticut women's basketball team (2008-2010) holds the current NCAA record of consecutive wins at 90.
As a result of the Flying Queens remarkable five-year run, 21 of the 31 players making up those teams were scheduled to be in Knoxville, Tenn., Saturday receiving the rare "Trailblazer of the Game" honor into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.
The Flying Queens are the fourth "Trailblazer of the Game" to be recognized by WBHOF, joining:the All-American Red Heads, Edmonton Grads and the Former Helms/Citizens Savings/Founders Bank. Each of the four have a display in the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame building.
Odom, along with Harley Redin, one the two Flying Queens coaches during the streak, already have been inducted as individuals into the hall.
Odom was in the Class of 2011 after being a three-time all-state player at Dimmitt (she scored 78 points in one game) and the first Wayland Baptist four-time All-American. Redin was in the inaugural HOF class of 1999.
"It thrilled me to death when I received the letter about this Trailblazer award," Odom said. "Because I have never accepted a hall of fame honor without saying, 'Folks, you have to remember it was the team ,and not me.' This thrills me the team will be there and they will get this honor."
The Flying Queens were first famous not for the streak.
Originally named for Hutcherson Air Service, the team sponsor was Claude Hutcherson. Instead of bus trips, Hutcherson and three or four other pilots helped fly the players to their games in his fleet of Bonanza aircraft.
"It was fun," Odom said. "There were only two or three girls on a plane."
The Flying Queens went 29-0 in 1953-54, Odom's sophomore season. As a junior, Odom and her teammates added a 23-0 season under coach Caddo Matthews.
"I had gone through an undefeated season in high school," said Odom, the Flying Queens' top offensive player during her four seasons. "My senior year in high school at Dimmitt our boys and girls each went through undefeated seasons and won state championships. So I had that mentality. Of course, I don't like to lose.
"But, at the time, we didn't talk about the streak."
Redin, who would coach the Flying Queens for 18 seasons and who still lives in Plainview at age 93, took over Odom's senior season.
Wayland went 23-0 in Redin's first year with Odom's younger sister, Margaret, also playing for WBU. The next year ,WBU went 29-0. Then in 1957-58, Wayland rolled off 27 victories before seeing the streak end in a 46-42 loss to Nashville Business College.
"It's an honor for the Flying Queens," said Redin, who compiled a 431-66 record at WBU. "I'm really glad to see the program get this recognition."
Last season, Wayland Baptist went 15-16 becoming the first women's basketball program to reach 1,500 victories.
Lometa and Margaret Odom were joined by several other Amarillo-area players during the streak.
Kay Williams Martin (1955-57) was from Panhandle and taught school in Amarillo at Avondale Elementary and Bonham Middle school for 26 years. Margie Haws Kinsey (1954-55) was from Friona High, Mauriene Smithson Matthews (1951-55) arrived from Dimmitt High.
"You don't get that chance too often to play with your sister," Odom said. "That was something great. (The reason we were able to put together the streak) was the chemistry of the team. I think it was friendships. Of course, we had a lot of fun in the dormitory, or wherever we were. We pulled pranks on each other.
"And then when we played, every person on the floor had something to give. And they gave it.
"At the time we didn't have those thoughts (of impacting women's basketball across the nation). Now it's a legacy we are all proud of. We did give girls basketball push up. I can see it now. But remember most of us were just doing the things we love. And that love for me was playing basketball."
That love of hoops for Lometa Odom and her Flying Queen teammates - 25 of the 31 playing during the streak are alive today - landed in rare air Saturday at the prestigious Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.
The list of Wayland Baptist coaches and players who won a national record 131 consecutive games between 1953-58.
Coaches
Caddo Matthews: 1953-55
Harley Redin: 1955-58
Players
NameYears at WBUHometown
Raye Wilson Ayers, 1952-56 (All-American 1956), Duncanville, Tx.
Alice "Cookie" Barron, 1954-57 (All-American 1957), Georgetown, Tx.
Dorothy Cannon Belcher, 1954-58; Cotton Center, Tx.
Mona Poff Biscoe, 1955-59 (All-American 1958), Elk City, Okla.
Georgia Buttram Bryant, 1954-55, Forrest, N.M.
Judy Bugher, 1955-58, Lexington, Okla.
Ruby Cannon Campbell, 1951-55, Cotton Center, Tx.
Rita Alexander Colman, 1953-57 (All-American 1956-57), Loco, Okla.
Gloria Harmer Cox, 1951-54, Plano, Tx.
Kaye Garms, 1954-58 (All-American 1956-57), Kingfisher, Okla.
Oma Gean Capps Holt-Geis, 1953-56, Blair, Okla.
Faye Wilson Gould, 1952-56 (All-American 1955-56) Duncanville
Louise Short Grace, 1956-58, Gallatin, Tx.
Joyce Kite, 1955-59, Parkville, Mo.
Carla Lowry, 1957-61 (All-American 1961), Forest, Miss.
Kay Williams Martin, 1955-57, Panhandle, Tx.
Patsy Neal, 1956-60 (All-American 1959-60) Elberton, Ga.
Lometa Odom, 1952-56; (All-American 1953-54-55-56), Dimmitt, Tx.
Peggy Alexander Odom, 1957-58, Loco, Okla.
Margaret Odom Parks, 1955-59 (All-American 1959), Dimmitt, Tx.
Jettie Sams, 1953-54, Lakeview, Texas
Belva Ramsey Stokes, 1956-58, Morton, Tx.
Katherine Washington, 1958-60 (All-American 1958-59-60) Murfreesboro, Tenn.
Paula Baisch Westfall, 1953-54, Dunlap, Tenn.
Marion Brown Young, 1954-56, Deer Park, Tx.
Deceased
Margie Haws Kinsey, 1954-55, Friona, Tx.
Mauriene Smithson Matthews, 1951-55, Dimmitt, Tx.
Carolyn Miller, 1956-60 (All-American 1959-60), Palestine, Tx.
Ruth Cannon Nichols, 1951-55 (All-American 1953-54-55), Cotton Center, Tx.
Joan Womble Porraro, 1952-54, Morse, Tx.
Jan Wiginton, 1957-59, Friendship, Okla.