Before women’s hoops had the attention of the nation, Genesee County had a basketball phenom named Linnell Jones (now Linnell McKenney) playing basketball at a level that was unparalleled.

Folks who were lucky enough to watch her play the game, even at a very young age, were completely blown away by what they saw.

McKenney graduated from Flint Northwestern in 1976 after averaging an incredible 27 points per game during her career. McKenney, who was known for her ability to dominate against both boys and girls in elementary and junior high school, came of age at a time when women’s athletics were not supported at nearly the same level as men’s. There was far less attention and, consequently, far fewer opportunities for women as Title IX was still in its infancy.

For reference, regulations for school athletics requiring high schools and colleges to provide equal opportunities for women were not fully implemented until 1978.

After graduating from Northwestern, she enrolled at Ferris State without a scholarship before ultimately moving on to Kentucky State on a full scholarship.

After college, McKenney became the first woman from Flint to play professional basketball.

From the Greater Flint African American Sports Hall of Fame:

Linnell was the first of 15 Americans chosen for the European Professional League. She played in the European Professional League for six years in Rome, Italy. Linnell was Most Valuable Player three times, and an All Star five times, named best player in Europe and held a scoring record of 84 points in one game. Linnell also played on the Italian National Basketball Team in Japan.

She also played in the WBL for the St. Louis Streaks in 1980–81.

McKenney is a member of the Greater Flint Sports Hall of Fame as well as the Greater Flint African American Sports Hall of Fame (2005, 2002 respectively).

McKenney has been just as prolific in her life off the court. She helped lead the New Direction Youth Program in Flint for many years, and is now the Executive Director of the Salvation Army L.I.F.E Center, a youth mentorship program in Beecher (click here to learn more).

For Black History Month 2026, we honor Linnell McKenney, a pioneer in women’s athletics and a lifelong community advocate.