Netball is a team sport similar to and derived from basketball, and was originally known in its country of origin, the United States, as "women's basketball". Invented by Clara Gregory Baerhttp://www.netball.org/netball.aspx?id=18 International Netball Federation, Netball:History, access date 28 January, 2007, a pioneer in women's sport, it is now the pre-eminent women's team sport (both as a spectator and participant sport) in Australia and New Zealand and is popular in Jamaica, Barbados, South Africa, Sri Lanka, the United Kingdom, and various other Commonwealth countries.