Just like the United States women’s national soccer team, the University of Connecticut women’s basketball team has once again been shafted by the male-dominated media of the sports world.
After a 101-game winning streak and counting, UConn has made history as a powerhouse in the world of collegiate basketball with not only its number of wins, but also its dominance in wins. 98 of these games have been double-digit wins, 56 of its wins have been by at least 40 points or more and the streak is at 13 more wins than the UCLA men’s record of 88 straight wins from 1970-1974.
But even that is not enough to award the women’s team so much as a second glance.
Women everywhere face it, whether they are actually the ones playing the sport or the ones reporting it. In the spring of 2016, the U.S. women’s soccer team filed a wage-discrimination complaint against the U.S. Soccer Federation after winning the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup for getting paid less than the men’s team. That was the women’s team’s third World Cup trophy, yet the men have not placed higher than third place in the FIFA World Cup since 1930.
The general rebuttal to women even discussing the discrepancy of females and sports usually falls into three parts: men’s sports have better quality athletes, men’s sports bring in more money and no one will watch women’s sports.
According to the United States Soccer Federation, the U.S. women’s team drew in around $23 million in revenue in 2015, which was more than what their male counterparts made ($21 million). More than 25 million people watched the U.S. women’s team play against Japan in the FIFA Women’s World Cup Finals. And their win against Japan is the highest-rated soccer match in American history, even in comparison to men’s games.
But the battle still remains.
There is not a single sports accomplishment that can take precedent over a 100-game winning streak. But arguments will still be made about it being women’s basketball, as if the simple fact that women were actually the ones who achieved this goal can diminish its greatness.
And the problem doesn’t just exist within the sport. It exist in the media surrounding the team.
In April of last year, “Just Not Sports” released a video titled “#MoreThanMean — Women in Sports ‘Face’ Harassment.” The video included two famous sports reporters (Sarah Spain from ESPN’s SportsCenter and Julie DiCaro from CBS Chicago) listening to men read vulgar tweets about them out loud.
Some sample tweets include: “One of the players should beat you to death with their hockey stick,” “This is why we don’t hire any females unless we need our c—s sucked or our food cooked” and “Hopefully this skank Julie DiCaro is Bill Cosby’s next victim.”
The video included tears, embarrassment, shame and one thing above all else: a sense of familiarity from the two reporters. As the video concluded, a simple message remained on the screen: “Some women in sports are harassed online just for doing their jobs.”
The degradation and diminishing of women in sports is only perpetuated by others in the field. UConn’s women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma, who is universally adored and admired, has fallen culprit as a contributor to the athletic double standard. In 2012, Auriemma said that women’s basketball might be more enjoyable if the rims were lower, to which many female players and sports reporters spoke out against angrily.
But steps are being taken to assure that female athletes receive equal pay and equal opportunity when compared to their male counterparts. Tennis is often viewed as the the field that is closest to equality among all major sports, as both men and women compete in the same stadiums and the first famous tennis players that come to mind are often females (think: the Williams sisters), and while there is still some very large pay discrepancy that needs to be fixed in tennis, equality is within reach.
The success of the UConn women’s basketball team is unparalleled by any other sports team, collegiate or professional, and the recognition and media attention that they deserve has unfairly been robbed from them. But they will continue to win, they will continue to thrive and their success will only continue to close the gap between men and women in sports. Thank you, UConn women athletes.
The UCONN Women’s Basketball Team is the greatest team ever. God Bless you all and keep winning.
We have lived in NC for the past 12 years and wouldn’t think of missing a UConn women’s basketball game…we subscribe to SNY every year in order not to miss a game…keep up your perfect score…we’ll be routing for you at the Final Four and God Bless.
Was fortunate enough to witness the amazing UCLA streak and their string of national championships. U Conn womens basketball team’s streak and national championships is every bit as powerful, impressive and exciting. They keep being marginalized and yet they persist. How can you not admire this team and all the teams associated with their winning streak and their national championships. What a privilege to watch them
Play.
I live here in Connecticut and have followed this team since ’94. What Auriemma and Dailey put out on the floor is unlike any basketball team I’ve seen. Geno grew up in the Philadelphia area and like myself absorbed that style of play showcased in the Palestra/Big Five days. Dawn Staley (South Carolina) and Muffett McGraw(Norte Dame)are using the same formula. The women at UCONN were all great HS players, not the best in most cases but they fit the UCONN system. They are, in most games, better conditioned than their opponents. They disregard the score and attempt perfection in each possession whether they’re down five or up ten. AND they all graduate after four years. This 100+ streak is unprecedented in any sport and the young women who established should be given their due!