I was raised in a family of basketball players. My uncles and dad all got scholarships to play at private high schools and then later went on to play in college. My mom used to manage the teams in high school and kept the scorebook during games. When my parents had me, there was no question of what sport I would play; it was obviously basketball, no questions asked. There was also no question about what number I would wear: 33, just like my dad. From the time I was born, I had a basketball in my hands; my dad would say I could dribble before I could talk. The sport became my life, and by the time I was eight, I was playing on club teams, traveling up and down the east coast every weekend for tournaments. When my dad wasn’t driving me to practice, we watched NBA games on TV or went to Seventy-Sixer’s games. It never occurred to me why we never went to a WNBA game.
As I got older, more girls quit the game, and the boys’ teams grew. Eventually, the sport I once loved became a chore, as it became more about winning and less about the love of the game, and I quit following my freshman year of high school. Yet, I will always love the sport of basketball, and it is forever a part of my identity.
As March Madness has come and gone every year, one thing has begun to change, Women’s College basketball is finally getting the attention it deserves. And if you haven’t taken notice, you should. The world of college basketball has come to focus more and more on famous women’s teams like UConn, Iowa, South Carolina, and LSU. Much of this is due to the rise in internet popularity over the years of stars like Paige Buekers, Angel Reese, and Caitlyn Clark.
Most recently, a game between Clark’s Iowa and Reese’s LSU teams competed in the Elite 8. The game was watched by a record-breaking 12.3 million viewers. Not only that, but Clark scored an insane 41 points. Much of this viewership is due to the attention of Clark and Reese’s entertaining trash talk against one another, which is seriously so iconic. Clark also gained recognition for scoring, setting a record of scoring 3,685 points in an NCAA career for both men and women. These women have finally become part of the conversation, not women’s basketball, just basketball in general, and it’s about damn time! This focus has been a long time coming, and I’m happy I have witnessed it in my lifetime. In addition to women’s basketball, women’s hockey has recently gained deserving attention, mainly due to the creation of the new women’s professional hockey league founded in January of 2024. Â
The growing attention on Women’s college basketball and athletics is essential. According to the Women’s Sports Foundation, by age 14, girls are twice as likely to quit their sport than boys. Sports help with health, teamwork, friendship, and confidence. I wish I had grown up during a time when women’s sports were given the attention they deserve. Maybe I wouldn’t have quit something I loved so much and so young. So thank you, Angel Reese, Caitlyn Clark, Paige Buekers, and all NCAA women athletes. Because you might just be the reason a little girl out there keeps playing her sport. And whether you watch for the trash talk, Kim Mulkey’s iconic sparkly suits, or just for the love of the game, please keep watching.
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