Hey everybody, it’s your homegirl CoachLeahTM!
Is it just me that has noticed… Or is it, for the first time in the history of the world, that women’s basketball – women’s sports in general – has been dominating media headlines not just in the sports world, but mainstream media. Women’s basketball topics are everywhere I seem to look – on network television, social media, radio, and general conversations with friends as well as complete strangers.
From record breaking attendance and viewership of the 2023 Women’s Final Four that drew an average of 9.9 million viewers, making it the most viewed NCAA women’s basketball final in television history according to ESPN, a Saturday Night Live mention of the Iowa Women’s Basketball team and spoof of LSU’s superstar and tournament MVP, Angel Reese, to countless interviews and hot topics by widely viewed networks – ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX , and of course, ESPN, to award winning podcasts like “The Pivot,” “Jemelle Hill is Unbothered,” and “Jalen Rose Renaissance Man.” All have dedicated thought, time, and space to discuss women’s basketball dominated by this newfound fascination with elite, female athletes. Even Shaquille O’Neal, an LSU alum, recently proclaimed this about Angel Reese on his, “The Big Podcast.” “She’s probably the greatest athlete to ever come out of LSU sports. You heard it here first. Male and female,” said Shaq. “She delivered. She delivered that package. See, a lot of us got the package, and we still got the package in our truck. She delivered that package.”
Many of us know that it’s not a newfound “phenomenon,” but I will say that we’re in a remarkably interesting time for women’s sports. As a former female athlete that is currently career coaching and advocating for female executives in male-dominated industries and spaces, I feel like we definitely need to ride this wave – that has morphed into a tsunami – or a downpour hovering slowly like Hurricane Harvey back in 2017.
Uh-hum (clearing my throat )… Now that we have your attention, let’s show you the relevance of the elite, female athlete’s impact lately.
But before we do, let me take a pause right here to remind everyone that right down I-45 in Houston, there WAS a Men’s NCAA Final Four Championship game played one day after the women’s game. Not as well attended… record low viewership… but “one shining moment,” nonetheless. Congratulations to UConn men’s basketball for bringing home their fifth national championship.
Shout out to National Champion UConn alum and star point guard, North Minneapolis’ own Khalid El-Amin.
However, just as soon as we make mention of Connecticut’s win, the relevance of elite, female athlete’s impact has never more evident than when the headline from that story turns the focus back to the women, “Cousins win NCAA Championships – Jordan Hawkins and Angel Reese.” Recently, the pair even shared a surprise reunion on ABC’s Good Morning America during Angel Reese’s in-studio interview.
Although I like to call it a “triple threat,” as a woman, and as a Black woman, and as a tall Black woman, I am a “triple minority” – living my life having to dispel so many myths and biases. I am grateful for this time in the “mainstream”… for this opportunity for everyone – globally – to see us and to realize how absolutely amazing we are – not just as athletes, but as the overachieving, trendsetting, phenomenal, valuable, and culturally enriching members of society that we are.
Why do you think elite female athletes are garnering so much attention as of late? Email your thoughts to CoachLeah@InsightNews.com. For your response, your name will be entered into the Insight News – Sports Grand Prize Drawing. Also, stay on the lookout for the premiere episode of “CoachLeah’s After the Whistle” – The Vodcast.
