But the most inspiring thing was seeing the girls and boys asking for autographs and crying when they met the players. (Yes, even more so than the tiara Ms. Reese brought to her final game.) For decades, women’s professional sports have been an afterthought culture, with huge disparities in pay and player treatment compared to men’s teams. has been justified by a half-hearted (albeit passionate) interest among the public. That may change.
The moment seems similar to the 1990s Chicago Bulls with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, or the moment when soccer star Brandi Chastain took off her shirt after winning the World Cup with the U.S. It feels like.
And it’s been a long time. Many of the coaches for the Elite 8 teams had to beg friends to attend the games, which were held in dilapidated facilities long abandoned by the men’s teams. Title IX, a 1972 federal law, mandated greater equality in men’s and women’s college sports. In the early 2000s, players such as Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird drew large television viewers in college with their quick games and later rose to prominence in the WNBA. Now, women’s basketball is reaching new heights.
There’s already talk about next year’s college season, with players like Watkins and LSU’s Fraujae Johnson returning. Meanwhile, the WNBA is poised to welcome once-in-a-generation talents in Clark and Reese, potentially filling professional stadiums again next year.
The players who win the championship title Sunday night in Cleveland will cap off an epic season with a trophy and a ring. But every women’s college basketball player who participated in this year’s tournament is part of something bigger than March Her Madness. They literally gave the kids coming up something to aim for.
