Women’s athletics deserves attention

A scorching start · Senior attacker Caroline deLyra pivots in a game against Michigan in March. The women’s lacrosse team is 11-0 this season. – Brian Ji | Daily Trojan

The unforgettable ending to Monday night’s NCAA men’s basketball title game had everyone buzzing. Everywhere I went in the ensuing 24 hours, people, basketball fans or not, wanted to talk about it — Uber drivers, baristas, professors and even my mother, who texted me after the game. And it was truly incredible, but something has been bugging me and it’s time I storm the Wildcats’ stage to say my piece: “Yo Villanova, I’m really happy for you, I’ll let you finish, but UConn women’s basketball is one of the best dynasties of all time!”

The Huskies’ 31-point win over Syracuse in the national championship Tuesday night gave the program its fourth consecutive title, capping off another undefeated season, and extending its historic winning streak to a whopping 75 games. With his 11th championship overall, head coach Geno Auriemma moved past the legendary John Wooden for most titles won by any coach in the sport all-time. Senior Breanna Stewart also became the first player on the women’s or men’s side to ever win four tournament most valuable players awards.

These are remarkable feats and records that will very likely never be broken by any coach, player or team in collegiate basketball. For some mysterious reason, though, perhaps still lost in all of the crying Jordan memes and game-winning shot reactions, no one’s chatting or buzzing about the history that was just made by the Huskies. I tried bringing it up in conversation with some of my more athletic colleagues and the response I got was, “There was a championship game last night?”

This type of oblivion towards the women’s game brings forward the very sad, yet true, reality of the attitudes towards it. I asked a few peers, males specifically, why they didn’t watch the women’s basketball Final Four and the answer I received each and every time was “because no one cares.” It shouldn’t be that way, but the harsh truth is that this is the way a lot of people, and not just males, use to justify their lack of appeal for women’s sports. It’s really tragic because as someone who has covered multiple collegiate women’s sports and practiced with them on the court, I watch, I care, and more people should begin to as well.

At USC, the spotlight is almost always centered on football, men’s basketball and baseball. That’s because it’s what’s considered the social norm. In fact, I’ve previously been made fun of when I’ve said I was headed to a women’s basketball or women’s volleyball game. That’s just not right.

Why can’t the spotlight shift to sports like women’s water polo, lacrosse or beach volleyball in the spring? In just its fourth season, the women’s lacrosse team is undefeated, as is the women’s water polo team, who is also ranked the No. 1 team in the country. The beach volleyball program is the last USC team to win a national championship after it turned in a perfect 28-0 season. Why do these high-achieving teams garner our attention and fanfare?

One can’t deny the large gap that already exists when it comes to fan interest in men’s and women’s sports. This is nothing new, and the UConn women’s basketball team is just a microcosm of this inequality. One columnist even had the nerve to say that UConn was killing the women’s game. In the men’s game, dominance is celebrated, while in the women’s game, it’s frowned upon. Would I be lying if I said that everyone, including sports talk shows and networks, would be salivating if the Duke or Kentucky men’s teams had won 50-plus straight games and counting?

So what’s it going to take for women’s teams to get the same type of treatment? We’ve grown up on the notion that boys are naturally stronger and faster than girls, but that doesn’t mean women shouldn’t be celebrated for athletic accomplishments. That belief makes it just as much a societal culture issue. Then, there are those that say the women’s game isn’t as “entertaining,” so that’s why they don’t watch.

“They can’t dunk, so what’s the point,” someone told me.

It has even gotten to the point where there’s a lot of discussion around lowering the rim in women’s basketball, which in turn, would add a whole new element to the game. Former UConn star and WNBA player Diana Taurasi powerfully responded to that idea by saying, “Might as well put us in skirts and back in the kitchen.”

Women’s sports have come too far and made too many strides to digress now. Just in the past few years, Becky Hammon became the first female assistant coach in the NBA, Jen Welter became the NFL’s first female coach and former softball player Jessica Mendoza emerged as the first female broadcaster to call a Major League Baseball game on ESPN. While there is a long way to go for total equality, the leagues and the sports themselves have done their part. It’s now the fans’ turn to “lean in” to ensure that the women’s game garners the attention it very much deserves.

Darian Nourian is a senior majoring in print and digital journalism. His column, “Persian Persuasion,” runs Thursdays.