Caitlin Clark and women’s basketball

[Jalapeñomel]

deserves their own post. The fact that this has taken over all of the sports feeds and overshadowing the men’s tournament is incredible.

apnews.com/article/final-four-iowa-caitlin-womens-south-carolina-a2432dcfc7ab0dfbd03d1ff7cb89b799

[curbsideprophet]

The Iowa/South Carolina game was a great game. I was hoping VT would be beat LSU.

[SusanBAnthony]

@@for mention of high school sports.



For more fun Iowa basketball, look up 6 on 6 if you haven't heard of it.

Iowa has a really cool women's basketball history. My mom played 6 on 6 and I had high school teachers that did as well. The podcast below talks about how high school girls basketball was THE sport in rural Iowa, and had a much bigger following than boys basketball.


99percentinvisible.org/episode/six-on-six-basketball/

[kiminky]

I am a huge women's basketball fan. Thank you for the post. My team made the elite 8 and was taken down by Iowa. Clark is phenomenal. I am always trying to hype the game and our team. Our coach says if we can get you to come to a game, you will be back.

What has frustrated in my time as a fan is the vitriol in comments anytime a national outlet posts ANY women's sports post on Twitter, etc. The incoming comments are always along the lines of - who cares, no one's watching, etc.

I am not an athlete, I don't have daughters that are athletes, but I can still appreciate the work these women are doing in their respective sports and love all of the hype.

They are breaking all kinds of viewing records this year and I hope it continues.

[Jalapeñomel]

Apr 1, 2023 17:13:05 GMT -5 kiminky said:

I am a huge women's basketball fan. Thank you for the post. My team made the elite 8 and was taken down by Iowa. Clark is phenomenal. I am always trying to hype the game and our team. Our coach says if we can get you to come to a game, you will be back.

What has frustrated in my time as a fan is the vitriol in comments anytime a national outlet posts ANY women's sports post on Twitter, etc. The incoming comments are always along the lines of - who cares, no one's watching, etc.

I am not an athlete, I don't have daughters that are athletes, but I can still appreciate the work these women are doing in their respective sports and love all of the hype.

They are breaking all kinds of viewing records this year and I hope it continues.

They are eating their words this year! It’s about time that these women get the recognition they deserve.

Purdue did well this year too!

Fun fact: my FIL’s company helped design the Hawkeye’s logo!

[hermione]

@@@

I love this! My 4th grade girl loves basketball. Her and my husband were watching a women’s game and she said, “We don’t have to watch this dad. It’s not important like boys’ basketball.” When my husband asked why she thought that, she said, “No one does brackets for the girl tournament.” So, yes, I love this. And we’ll be hosting a buy in for the women’s tournament next year.

[erbear]

Caitlin Clark is infreakingcredible. So fun to watch.

[eddy]

I am am an Iowa fan. I still am in awe. This season has been so much fun. CC is out of control. The game last night was elite. All of the respect to each team we have played. Women bball is just flat out a good time.

[eddy]

Also @@@@@

For like the third time I am hosting a household of teens boys tomorrow for the game. The energy of this team is infectious.

[idahome]

hermione: Love that you guys are going to show the girls love next year. I think I need to get my employer to do one too.

I’m not sure which will be better tomorrow: Caitlin’s game play or Kim’s suit jacket.

[VillainV]

I was a little girl playing basketball when I went to see Dawn Staley play at UVA. I even got to meet her one summer at basketball camp. It’s so nice to see her featured on TV alongside Coach K and Nick Saban, as a recognition of her impact to sports. She’s an amazing human, Coach, and player. I was sorry to see South Carolina lose, but what an amazing game!!

[lilac05]

In a time when it super sucks to live in Iowa for all kinds of reasons, I’m so thankful for Caitlin Clark, Lisa Bluder (coach), and the whole women’s basketball team. It’s nice to have something to be proud of, and watching this team in action this year has just been so much fun. I actually couldn’t even tell you what’s happening in the men’s tournament. No one really seems to care around here.

I love how she takes every opportunity to build her team up, yet is not at all ashamed to be proud of her skills and accomplishments. She’s a great model as far as I have seen of how to own the moment of being the best. She’s not arrogant in a negative way, but she’s the best and she knows it. There’s no, “Oh, tee hee…it’s really just my team as a whole that is amazing.” I hope women everywhere are taking note!

I’m also really glad that NCAA now has the name, image, likeness deal so these college athletes can get paid for their awesomeness! Raygun has a few good shirt options.

[dirtyred]

My husband and I have been watching the women's tournament and honestly, the play is much better in the women's.  The men just try to over power each other and their shooting is not as accurate (I know the women have a smaller ball, but the men miss at least half of the lay ups they try).  Much better basketball.

[Velar Fricative]

I haven’t been much of a basketball fan since the 90s and generally don’t pay much attention to college sports, but I was in awe of the Iowa-SC game.

[seeyalater52]

Prepare to be heartwarmed. It sounds like Clark is a really great person in addition to being a legend in her sport.

[eddy]

Another fun thing about CC is she does not GAF on the court. She doesn’t conform. She doesn’t try to act in a way that is pleasing to others. She gets painted as rude or cocky a lot but I don’t think that is the case. She is just focused and stealthy. She also low key trash talks which is entertaining. 😂

But off the court she always refocuses attention off herself. To her teammates, her coach, other team, the sport in general etc. i love watching the switch.

Also she has been pissing men off for a long ass time and it is so delightful to watch. Lololol. A woman who refuses to conform and trash talks better then most NBA players. Ooooh that brings out the big mad feelings.

[eddy]

She has been told in the handshake line this year by several male coaches that “she isn’t as good as she thinks she is.” Like boy, go sit all the way down. She just eats that stuff up for breakfast and uses it as fuel.

Also because all these athletes should be elevated if you are tuning in, LSU is really freaking good. So enjoy watching them as well. I still don’t get why they were a 3 seed in the tourney.

[erbear]

Apr 2, 2023 8:17:49 GMT -5 eddy said:

She has been told in the handshake line this year by several male coaches that “she isn’t as good as she thinks she is.” Like boy, go sit all the way down. She just eats that stuff up for breakfast and uses it as fuel.

Also because all these athletes should be elevated if you are tuning in, LSU is really freaking good. So enjoy watching them as well. I still don’t get why they were a 3 seed in the tourney.

I’d love to root for them because I think the team is awesome. But I am struggling to get behind their coach.

[eddy]

Apr 2, 2023 9:03:35 GMT -5 erbear said:

Apr 2, 2023 8:17:49 GMT -5 eddy said:

She has been told in the handshake line this year by several male coaches that “she isn’t as good as she thinks she is.” Like boy, go sit all the way down. She just eats that stuff up for breakfast and uses it as fuel.

Also because all these athletes should be elevated if you are tuning in, LSU is really freaking good. So enjoy watching them as well. I still don’t get why they were a 3 seed in the tourney.

I’d love to root for them because I think the team is awesome. But I am struggling to get behind their coach.

LSU? Yeah, I am not a fan of her. BUT the players are fantastic. Focus on them. 🫅

[spindle92]

This post makes me SOOOOO HAPPY!
While I am not a fan of Caitlin Clark, I 100% respect her scoring skills and the attention she has brought to Women's College Hoops.
My hope is this excitement for Women's ball continues into the upcoming and future seasons of the WNBA.
My mom and I have been season ticket holders for the MN Lynx WNBA team for over 10 years now and try to promote the league whenever possible.

There are only 12 WNBA teams and while they are talking about an expansion, with all this amazing talent coming up from college, we really need more than just one expansion team.

If anyone ever wants to talk about women's hoops, I'm your person!

[basilosaurus]

I do not watch or care about sportball except on rare occasion, but I was friends with some players when they hit top 16 in uni. Did anyone notice or care? Nope. It was all men's sports all the way. So, I'm happily going to sing praises to any female athlete to anyone who will listen.

Unfortunately it's not carried on our sports channels here or else I'd make sure it played in my locals.

[erbear]

I have some feelings about that game today, largely about the officiating :/

[curbsideprophet]

Definitely not a fan of LSU coach.

I think that fourth foul on Clark was harsh.

[ksun]

The officiating was awful, but I'm definitely not a fan of Clark or Iowa so I'm perfectly happy with LSU winning.

[VillainV]

I agree that the officiating seemed inconsistent (to put it diplomatically), but I was incredibly impressed by the level of play today. Those young women should be extremely proud of themselves! Also, I love that both teams are coached by women. I don’t know anything about any of the players or coaches, and I don’t have any particular affinity for either team, but as a former basketball player and sports lover, this was really fun to watch!!!

[kiminky]

Man, my feelings were really torn on this one. Not a fan of Mulkey at all. Loved how the LSU players, especially the bench players rose to the occasion. The technical on Clark felt like it changed some of the trajectory of the game, LSU I'm sure would have won regardless, but the refs really inserted themselves into the game. Looking forward to next season.

[erbear]

I was also really disappointed with the lack of sportsmanship by Angel Reese after the game. It bummed me out to see kids with such lack of grace? general kindness? following a game they won. I feel some kinda way about this (and I’m usually on board with confidence and even a little cockiness in women’s sports)

[erbear]

Apr 2, 2023 19:21:28 GMT -5 VillainV said:

I agree that the officiating seemed inconsistent (to put it diplomatically), but I was incredibly impressed by the level of play today. Those young women should be extremely proud of themselves! Also, I love that both teams are coached by women. I don’t know anything about any of the players or coaches, and I don’t have any particular affinity for either team, but as a former basketball player and sports lover, this was really fun to watch!!!

LSU’s coach sucks as far as her record on LGBTQIA+ player and especially BG. Check her out.

[underwaterrhymes]

Apr 2, 2023 20:21:48 GMT -5 erbear said:

I was also really disappointed with the lack of sportsmanship by Angel Reese after the game. It bummed me out to see kids with such lack of grace? general kindness? following a game they won. I feel some kinda way about this (and I’m usually on board with confidence and even a little cockiness in women’s sports)

But didn’t Caitlin Clark do that same gesture in the previous game? I feel like there is a double standard.

[spindle92]

Apr 2, 2023 20:52:29 GMT -5 underwaterrhymes said:

Apr 2, 2023 20:21:48 GMT -5 erbear said:

I was also really disappointed with the lack of sportsmanship by Angel Reese after the game. It bummed me out to see kids with such lack of grace? general kindness? following a game they won. I feel some kinda way about this (and I’m usually on board with confidence and even a little cockiness in women’s sports)

But didn’t Caitlin Clark do that same gesture in the previous game? I feel like there is a double standard.

It's a HUGE double standard!