I Love This Game

WARNING: This is not a work-related post.

When it was announced that Juju Watkins of USC (my alma mater) had broken the D1 freshman women’s season scoring record during last night’s Elite Eight game with Connecticut, I was surprised to learn that the NCAA only started sponsoring Women’s basketball in 1982. I did some research. It turns out that the first women’s intercollegiate game was between Stanford and Cal in 1896, but not long after, these two schools joined most major colleges in banning competitive sports for women. It took the passage of Title IX in 1972 to prompt universities to start actively supporting women’s athletics.?

My two sisters ( Emily Harman , Nena Shimp ) played college basketball, so I have watched the sport take off these past few years with added appreciation. A friend of mine pointed out that, as a casual fan, he could name more players from the women’s Elite 8 teams than he could from the men’s teams. The same is true for me.

The women’s game has benefited because the best players don’t bail for the WNBA after just one year in college. Last night's Iowa-LSU game was a rematch of last year's final. Watching the game was reminiscent of the men’s tournament before the one-and-done era. Remember when the same schools would make consecutive Final Four appearances in what would amount to mini-rivalries at the highest level of the game??

What a treat to watch Caitlan Clark shine despite the spotlight she has played under this year. How great that it was a woman freshman at USC (Juju) who led her team to the conference championship and the Elite Eight, got the most TV commercials, and (hopefully) made the most NIL money, rather than the two USC freshmen so heralded at the start of the season–Bronny James, son of the all-time NBA great, and Isiah Collier, the five-star recruit who is likely headed to the NBA after his freshman year at USC.?

For the second consecutive year, I have enjoyed following the women's game closely. I can only imagine that my interest will continue. I credit ESPN and other sports media for their willingness to put the women’s game front and center. The coaches and players have earned the coverage. These are good teams who play the game of basketball at a high level.?

And for anyone who would say the women’s game isn’t the same because it lacks dunks and feats of athleticism, I would point you N.C. State star D.J. Burns. Yes, he can dunk, but I'm not sure he has done so during the nine-game win streak that has captured the hearts of basketball fans across the country. He is a well-rounded player (pun not intended) with an old-school post presence and a great knack for making the right pass. He is not going to soar above the rim for a jaw-dropping put-back, but he is clearly having fun out there. You will too if you watch the women’s Final Four.