Talking about the women’s NCAA Tournament is impossible without starting in Storrs, Connecticut. First of all, the accomplishments of the University of Connecticut’s women’s basketball team have been well-documented. And they should continue to be so, rolling through all challengers as the UConn women are. UConn accomplished something this season that will likely never be matched—although people probably said that about the UCLA record they broke. The UConn women continue to maul opponent after opponent on their seemingly inevitable march toward another NCAA Championship. The women’s bracket doesn’t get as much attention as the men’s for several reasons. The debate over the lack of attention could span several day’s worth of arguments so let’s summarize it by saying it’s unfair and it’s unfortunate. It’s also an inevitability in this day and age, and at this point in the sport. (Women’s basketball, as a profession, has been around significantly less time than men’s. This is a fact. Sports take time to catch on no matter how much the teams are pushed by marketers or feminists.) But if we move past the lack of attention and the criticism that some level at the game, we have the chance to see some exciting basketball. There have been exciting games played at The Pit. There have been first-time records for the sport set by exciting contemporary players. (For what it’s worth, look at Gonzaga getting to play in Spokane for a great example of how the NCAA should be rewarding certain teams. Dragging UNC and UK all the way out here to the desert made for some good hoops, but might not have been a great reward for those teams.)The sport is picking up and the time seems right. For the casual fan, the UConn Huskies are perfect to root for: they are fun, they win all the time and you can talk to practically anyone about them. In these aspects, they’re a bit like the Chicago Bulls of the ’90s—super easy for the casual sports fan to get into but they’ll probably be looked back at as a bit of a bully. Meanwhile, Gonzaga will continue playing the Cinderella role, albeit in the women’s game. All of the women’s tournament games are broadcast on ESPN or ESPN2. Tune in and give the game a chance as women’s basketball reaches its highest peak. It’s hard to be disappointed by athletes playing the game at this high a level.
Women Play The Game, Too
3 min read
