Louisville was the center of attention on Sunday. From Kevin Ware’s leg injury to the team earning a spot in the Final Four, the Cardinals were a major conversation starter.
Something barely discussed? Louisville’s women’s basketball team, who also had an impressive game day.
The Louisville ladies beat top-seed Baylor for a place in the Elite Eight, ending the Bears’ 32-game winning streak. Scoring 16 three-pointers, the Cards also set an NCAA record.
If you thought the Duke/Louisville game was competitive, the women’s team’s final score was 82-81, making it a really close race.
As someone who watched the Super Bowl only to see Beyoncé’s performance, I’ll admit, I’m no authority on athletics. But when it comes to March Madness, I’m a huge fan.
Ever since high school, I’ve loved filling out a bracket and watching the games. (Full disclosure: I pick teams based on who has a cuter mascot, but it’s a pretty effective method, since even the most talented sports analysts can’t predict upsets.)
As a March Madness enthusiast and a self-proclaimed feminist, I have an embarrassing confession: I completely forgot there was a women’s tournament going on.
I was flipping through the channels and saw one of the games on ESPN. I hadn’t even thought about the fact that they’re playing in a championship, too.
But I’m not the only one guilty of paying less attention to the ladies’ games — and that’s the problem.
Seriously, think about it for a minute. Could you name which women’s teams are in the Elite Eight without looking it up?
The sad truth is that often, women’s college basketball games — and female athletics in general — are overlooked. This is especially shameful, considering that not only is March a time filled with basketball; it’s also Women’s History Month.
Even a quick search on Facebook reveals that the NCAA Women’s Basketball page has 33,000 likes, whereas the NCAA Men’s Basketball page has 13 times the amount with 443,000.
While the men’s tourney is broadcast on major networks like CBS, TBS and TNT, the women’s games are shown on ESPN and ESPN2.
Of course I understand the tradition surrounding the men’s tournament; I just think the women deserve way more credit.
Barely anyone sits around filling out the women’s brackets, but they’re still talented athletes.
Instead of moping around after next Monday’s final men’s March Madness game, fill the basketball void in your life by checking out the women’s championship game on Tuesday, April 8. See for yourself why women’s sports are equally entertaining!
