Hawks & Cocks

Game changer. The Final Four bout between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the South Carolina Gamecocks started the same. Players walk on the floor, the crowd roars, and they throw a leather round ball in the air... and it begins. Bounce bounce bounce, clang, swish, squeak. Basketball has barely changed since Jim Naismith threw a ball through a hoop in 1891, but on March 31st, 2023, something changed, and it started with the IX chromosome.

With the 50th anniversary of Title IX, a law passed that created equality among United States college athletic departments to eliminate disparity between men and women sports, the world acknowledged young women athletes, but had to fight for recognition and respect on the competitive landscape. Currently, male sports dominate. But it is time to pay attention... and APPRECIATE!

There is a significant gap between men and women's sports in regards to the game. Offense and defense are the nuts and bolts that hold sports together, but watch. Its style.

Kim Mulkey is the LSU head women's basketball coach, but it is hard to tell whether her voice or her outfit speaks louder. And if you notice... both genders wear jerseys. As we speak, her Lady Tigers team is playing in the national championship, and crushing. 64% from 3! Caitlin Clarke, the player of the year, has 25 points in her superstar season. But for the sake of her gender, the Final Four was more than a game.

For the box score, the statistical comparison between two teams, Iowa and South Carolina the numbers fulfilled the match up. 1 seed versus 2. The NCAA #1 defense against the #2 scorer (shout out to NOVA's star Maddy Siegrist). Offensive POY vs Defensive POY. The game was set for sensation, and FINALLY, the world noticed. But on one side theres the score, and on the other side theres the story.

The game was the most watched semi-final ever, and the players did not disappoint. Fresh off a flabbergasting 41 point triple-double, Cailtlin Clarke dazzled everyone with her outstanding talent, and Aliyah Boston towered at 6'5". 2 quick fouls put Boston on the bench, but the massive and deep Gamecocks battled the boards bringing down 26 offensive rebounds. Clarke made shot after shot putting her team in contention as the clocked ticked, but strategy took centerstage. SC Coach Dawn Staley had no answer for the genius defense of putting 5 players in the paint to combat the towering posts, shooting a feeble 4-20 from 3. In an epic culmination, Clarke launches the ball to the rafters, and puts her hand to her ear as if to say 'Are you listening to us now?!'

This was the biggest moment for women's sports since Billie Jean King defeated Bobby King in the Battle of the Sexes tennis match. For an entire gender, this was the time to show the world that women can play, and are here to stay. The game demonstrated the beauty and uniqueness of womens' sports, and how it is a stark contrast to the men's system.

This turning point in sports provides a backdrop to an outstanding basketball game, one of my favorites. Typically, the Uconn Huskies graced page 3 with another championship, but now with new and invigorated talent taking the hardwood, the game has grown and, thank goodness, the world is watching.