My immediate thought is because the Utah women were there. In other words, it wasn't some pre-planned thing, but it's racists shitheads seeing people of color and being racist shitheads.I know people can just be terrible, but why would racists pick on Utah specifically? Looking at their roster, they have very few women of color on the team (as far as I can tell), and just one assistant coach of color. I don't really get it.
Wow that's insane.So they ended up being housed in East Bumfuck, Idaho because Spokane was for a long time booked up because of the men's tournament.
It does add fuel to the argument that the women's tournament should be at pre-determined sites as well.
You have LSU beating Iowa but Iowa in the final 4.My new bracket starting with the sweet 16:
Albany 1
South Carolina over Indiana
Notre Dame over Oregon St
South Carolina over Notre Dame
Portland 4
Texas over Gonzaga
Stanford over NC State
Stanford over Texas
Albany 2
Iowa over Colorado
LSU over UCLA
LSU over Iowa
Portland 3
USC over Baylor
UConn over Duke
UConn over USC
Final Four
South Carolina over Stanford
UConn over Iowa
National Championship
South Carolina over UConn
Idaho is an open home to militias and the fringe right - they invite them with open arms.I know people can just be terrible, but why would racists pick on Utah specifically? Looking at their roster, they have very few women of color on the team (as far as I can tell), and just one assistant coach of color. I don't really get it.
Yes I screwed that up. LSU beating Iowa and then UConn but losing to SC in the final.You have LSU beating Iowa but Iowa in the final 4.
That's how magical Caitlin is.You have LSU beating Iowa but Iowa in the final 4.
I can comment on the process for football. The NCAA asks us the following each year:In other news, there was a ref in the Chattanooga/NC State game that was replaced at half-time because it was discovered by the NCAA (maybe tipped off by the NC State AD Dept.) during the first half that that ref had attended Chattanooga as a grad student and received an MA from there. How this mistake happened is weird to me. In high school, you are not allowed to ref a game of a school that you attended, your child attends, or that you worked for and you must submit all this relevant information before the season begins. I can only imagine that at the D1 collegiate level this requirement is even starker and more enforced. It's possible the scheduler messed up but how does the ref, herself, not alert her supervisor upon being assigned to the game?
The women's tournament being on campus is one of the best things it has going. Neutral sites in the first round of the men's tournament are pretty sterile. Monday night the UCONN game finished with Gampel going crazy. Simultaneously IU had 10,000 in Assembly Hall and Iowa was about to tipoff. Popularity of women's basketball is growing and these first and second round sites on campus are incubators for fanbases.So they ended up being housed in East Bumfuck, Idaho because Spokane was for a long time booked up because of the men's tournament.
It does add fuel to the argument that the women's tournament should be at pre-determined sites as well.
Agree 100%. People complain that UConn gets home games in the NCAA Tournament, but I mean, when they absolutely pack out Gampel (or the XL Center, or Bridgeport), it's (a) a great atmosphere for the women's game, and (b) it makes more $$ with all those fans in the seats.The women's tournament being on campus is one of the best things it has going. Neutral sites in the first round of the men's tournament are pretty sterile. Monday night the UCONN game finished with Gampel going crazy. Simultaneously IU had 10,000 in Assembly Hall and Iowa was about to tipoff. Popularity of women's basketball is growing and these first and second round sites on campus are incubators for fanbases.
My two cents: Outside of societal changes - women's basketball is growing because fans are dumb and stars + continuity = viewership. The men's game has very little continuity with the transfer portal and coaching changes vs. the women's game which has both stars from last year's championship game BACK and on the same teams. It's much easier for a casual fan to get invested if they don't have to do any research.
WBB administrators should absolutely be demanding equality but trying to be like the men's tournament isn't why the sport is growing.
I'm laughing at this last part. It would really suck if your uncle was Joe Biden and you had to cross off a half dozen teams every May when he does the commencement tour.Select those institutions you have any family members attending, coaching or playing (including honorary degree).
They play at the same time as the wnba, he knows this, but it's gotten people talking about the big 3 for a day and cost him nothing.
This seems like a terrible idea for both Clark and the big3. It’s just gotta be a marketing ploy. Not sure what kind of contracts rookies of Clark’s caliber get in the wnba? So it might make financial sense but other than that it’s completely ridiculous.
I believe the max for a rookie is 208k this year. They make dirt.This seems like a terrible idea for both Clark and the big3. It’s just gotta be a marketing ploy. Not sure what kind of contracts rookies of Clark’s caliber get in the wnba? So it might make financial sense but other than that it’s completely ridiculous.
It's one reason (not the only, but a big one) why Bueckers staying another year makes all the sense in the world. She's making far more money at UConn with NIL than she will in the WNBA.I believe the max for a rookie is 208k this year. They make dirt.
He's also taking a lot of flak from folks on social media. But that's par for the course these days.They play at the same time as the wnba, he knows this, but it's gotten people talking about the big 3 for a day and cost him nothing.
Unless she would fly potentially cross country twice a day every Saturday while playing back to back or even back to back to back days every weekend she'd miss something like a quarter of the wnba season. That's if the wnba even allowed her to play in another league at the same time, and if she didn't get hurt playing against much bigger stronger faster players.He's also taking a lot of flak from folks on social media. But that's par for the course these days.
There were some tweets about how Clark could do both, but I didn't dive into it.
It's because the officials and conferences don't care, but the NCAA really cares. I can only relate this to football since that's my area of expertise. But there are a lot of uniform and equipment rules that are routinely broken. One of which the NCAA loves to talk about is knee pads. Players must have knee pads and the pants + knee pads must cover the knees. Now take any image from any football game and you'll see players who are wildly out of compliance. Like this:We got to talk about Hildalgo's nose ring. So, I've noticed it for weeks and wondered how she was allowed to play with it. Well, today the refs told her to take it out but not until the start of the second quarter (she missed almost 5 minutes of game action as a result which rivals the most minutes she ever sits over the course of an entire game). Why was this not dealt with during warmups when equipment issues are meant to be dealt with? Why was ND allowed to start her and play her in the first quarter? Why was ND not assessed a technical? Why suddenly did the officials care when they never have before... and the head ref has previously officiated ND games? Maybe a coincidence but this is now the second tourney game in which a glaring error that should have been obvious at the start of the game wasn't handled until at least the second quarter.
Thanks for the link. Complete nothingburger IMO. One of the great coaches in sports is a bit of an asshole. News at 11.The Post’s Kim Mulkey story is out. Here’s a gift link:
https://wapo.st/4cBAM4A
It’s long, but basically just confirms that she’s a jerk who holds ridiculous grudges and has issues with gay players. If she hadn’t made such a big deal about it, it probably would have been largely ignored.
Nothing new but a nothing burger? A player on the record saying she was targeted for being gay isnt a nothingburger to me.Thanks for the link. Complete nothingburger IMO. One of the great coaches in sports is a bit of an asshole. News at 11.
Best women’s player I’ve seen since Taurasi.Clark is dealing right now...her passing is next level.
It will be quite a game…kind of wish it was the finals, but I am also hoping we’re seeing S. Carolina in that.Monday night is gonna be straight fire Iowa vs the villains
Criticized by many as racist and sexist, the LA Times has since edited the piece, explaining it didn’t meet their standards. Shame on them for letting it out in the first place. Here’s one article covering the reaction and ultimate revision -ArticleThis isn’t just a basketball game, it’s a reckoning. Picking sides goes well beyond school allegiance.
Do you prefer America’s sweethearts or its dirty debutantes? Milk and cookies or Louisiana hot sauce?
The team that wants to grow women’s basketball or the one seemingly hellbent on dividing it?
The coach who embraces reporters or the one who attacks them? The tender star player or the one who taunts?
When UCLA plays defending national champion Louisiana State on Saturday at MVP Arena in the Sweet 16 of the Albany 2 Regional, the contrasts don’t stop with blue and purple.