This former women’s college basketball player is calling a foul on the game.
Call me old-fashioned, behind the times, a purist, or biased, but am I the only viewer who was frustrated and cringed watching the women’s basketball tourney?
I know the game has changed dramatically in the past several decades with more TV exposure, higher shooting percentages, better and more advanced conditioning, etc. However, many negatives and questionable practices must be addressed. If not, my take is that the game will be irrevocably tarnished. Here are six issues to address and resolve.
First, when did basketball become “a contact sport“? The game is way too physical, with too much elbowing, too many players landing on the floor, and too much hand-checking. Fix that!
Second, I know that offense and scoring are what fans, sponsors, and media relish. However, high scoring can be a detriment to the game, especially when the defense becomes difficult, if not impossible, to execute. Too many times, I’ve seen an offensive player take steps, stand in the key forever, and lunge forward into an opposing defender. I’m tired of shouting at the TV!
Courtesy WLOS
Third, too many fouls were being called. Thirty-five was the number in the LSU-Iowa championship game. As a result, too many players are forced to sit on the bench for long periods. Worse yet, there seems to be neither rhyme nor reason for some of those calls. For example, while Iowa’s Caitlin Clark received a puzzling technical foul, LSU coach Kim Mulkey berated the officials and roamed the court at will — without penalty.
Fourth, officials need to officiate, and often they do not. There are rules in basketball that are rarely enforced today. If the officials would call more traveling, more three seconds in the key, and held ball violations, fewer fouls would be called, and the game would “get back to basics.” The outcome would make the game crisper and less chaotic. So, officials, please enforce the rules!
Fifth, I’m not a fan of over-dribbling, which means one play has the ball in her hands too long. Whatever happened to passing the ball and setting up plays? Now it seems guards want to “show off” their ball-handling skills, which often results in a turnover. Sloppy play happens whenever a team commits 15+ turnovers. Perhaps the game is played too fast, even with the 30-second clock.
Courtesy Front Office Sports
Sixth, let’s cut the trash talk and taunting, and that applies to coaches and players. What happened to sportsmanship and civility? Take pride in yourself, your skill, and your accomplishments. Play gracefully. Zip your lip. Bottom line: Let your play stand on its merit. When I played, poor sportspersonship was unacceptable, and a player would be reprimanded and benched. Trash talk is unnecessary and detracts from the game.
I’m old enough to remember when smaller schools won championships. The AIAW (Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women) ran things, and smaller schools like Immaculata, Delta State, and Old Dominion were basketball winners. The game was played differently in those days, but it was still entertaining and showcased some great players. With the NCAA came large budgets, scholarships, TV exposure, and players drafted into the WNBA and playing professionally overseas. That’s fine, but I believe it has come at a cost.
I still prefer the style of basketball I played in college fifty years ago. I admit it was slower and more deliberate, with more defense, less scoring, and not so much “grandstanding.” But I’m not a fan of how the game has evolved. For one thing, it’s hardly recognizable compared to the game I played and loved. Many would say it’s progress.
Improvements can and should be made. Let’s have fewer fouls called, less physical contact, more defense, and fewer turnovers. I want to see a clean, crisp, and well-played game. Most importantly, I’d like to see women’s college basketball star shine more brightly than it does today.
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Editor’s Note: Carolyn Bower’s name is etched in the athletic annals at the University of Akron. Bower was in the student leadership group that made a case for including women’s basketball in the Zip’s intercollegiate portfolio. As a senior (1973), she was named an Outstanding College Athlete of America.
