Great Article About the State of Womens Basketball

[HuskerFan86]

http://www.fullcourt.com/columns/clay121502c.html

[swok34]

I was looking around on the WNBA site today because I have no idea what's really gone on since the season ended. I did know that San Antonio got Utah's franchise....also saw that Seattle may move out of Seattle, not out of Washington; because they can't afford the rent they pay on the arena. The group in Connecticut interested in a WNBA team is a casino....and the league probably won't be playing with 16 teams this year.

Also found out that Danielle Crockrum is playing in Greece and Edwina Brown in playing in Israel. The three OU girls are all in the states with Ross and Caufield finishing their degrees...
Dales working out in DC....I was surprised how many of the rookies are back at their college to finish their degrees.

[spooky]

Are you sure about Danielle in Greece? I've seen her at more than a few Lady Bear games this year, and saw her in Waco within the last week. Of course, I don't have a clue when the Greek League plays their season. I guess it could be starting up now.

For those who hadn't seen this, the San Antonio team has changed from the Starzz to the Silver Stars.

[Bob_Ballew]

Danielle Crockrom has finished up in Greece and is working on her degree at Baylor this semester.

[catladyok]

It's true: Money Talks. But so does feedback. It might make a big difference down the line if all fans would take the time to write thank-you notes to each of the sponsors of their local teams at the end of the season. And to any and all TV/radio stations who covered the action, especially to the people who do such a good job with the play-by-play action. And a big thank-you letter to ESPN for covering the Big Dance. And to all of the WNBA sponsors.

I make lists of sponsors during the fall, winter and summer bball seasons and take the time to write, and you'd be surprised at how many of these folks write back, thanking me for my letter.

A little show of appreciation may make a big difference to these money people if it comes from several thousand fans.

How 'bout it, folks?

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BIG XII RULES!

[Bball Girl]

There's another article about the WNBA that's quite depressing..
http://www.fullcourt.com/columns/corwin112702c.html

I love basketball and if I had the energy I'd be going to all the men's games too. When I look out on either court...I see 24+ talented young elite athletes and a committed set of coaches who believe in the benifits of athletics and a college education and in most cases who seek to teach those kids how to prepare for life not just a game. I love the speed and the action of this game and the execution of a beautiful play.

When I look up in our stands at both games...I see a fair amount of young and older men sitting together at the women's games and the men's games. I see families, young women and older women sitting together and group of friends and couples who have had seats together for years.

On the RaiderPower board every so often some yahoo gets on the WBB board and rants that the only people attending our games are blue hairs and lesbians because they're the only people who care about WBB. This article seems to support some of that concern and yet that's not what I see at our games. I just see people who enjoy the game of WBB and basketball in particular.

Unfortunately, we as a culture still seem to struggle with women as athletes...period. I think it bothers some people that some of these women could out run them, out shoot them, and could kick their buts.

In KC at the Final 4, I came around a corner and bumped into Slyvia Crawley all 6'+, broad shoulders and an gorgeous smile...then I saw her with Shannon Johnson kick some butt in some 2 on 2 play. She was a wonderful embodiment of a gorgeous woman..strong, healthy, powerful.

A friend of mine with young girls remarked to me that her husband has shown growing interest in women's sports since the girls were born...he now talks to me about WBB as well as MBB. I'm hopeful that those fathers will raise their little girls and little boys to enjoy sports and to appreciate those elite athletes for who they are and what they accomplish on the court/field/pool.

I think it's critical for women's sports in general for the WBNA and the US soccer program to suceed and prosper.

Why do women's professional sports in Europe and the rest of the world seems to prosper (and pay better than ours) and we still stuggle with this notion of professional women athletes?

[snizave]

It's funny that you mentioned professional women's sports in Europe. It really amazed me that they have successful leagues over there. I was in Europe for 7 months at a University, and all the European students were amazed that we cared about any women's sports. They made fun of the USA for "making a big deal" about women's soccer, and gave me some very strange looks when I told them I was staying up till 2 or 3 AM to listen to K-State WBB on the net. I talked to lots of women there about high school sports, and they all said that women's sports were not well regarded. Here in the USA, we support women's athletics (at least decently) until they graduate college, and then for some reason, we lose interest and the Europeans gain it. Funny.