Rob Long: Women's Basketball Is Being Taken For Granted
I get it...women's basketball is not on your "must see tv" list. I'm not here to make you change your mind either. After all, there are no high flying dunks. If you don't like the "below the rim" game of basketball this isn't for you.
Women's basketball is all about screens and backdoor cuts to the basket. It's about communicating of defense and depending on your teammates to succeed. That's not a slight at men's game because I'm a HUGE fan and always will be, but the women's game has drawn my attention over the years.
Brenda Frese and the women's basketball team at College Park have put together a run that is nothing short of remarkable.
They have been in the Big 10 for three years and have won three Big 10 Tournament Championships. She's done it with two seniors who were not McDonald's All-Americans in Brionna Jones and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough. These two young ladies have added not only wins, but star power to the Terps brand. They've helped Coach Frese continue to build one of the nation's best women's basketball programs in the country.
While I don't expect the women to sell out Xfinity Center, it is expected for them to earn the respect of those who frown on "girls basketball." They are sometimes looked down on as a watered-down product. I'm not a soccer fan but I respect them as being tremendous athletes.
You may not be a fan of the game, but respect the participants for what they do. They too are tremendous athletes.
No, this isn't a conversation about whether or not they can beat men. That's irrelevant and minimizes what they can do. The Maryland Women's Basketball team can beat nearly anyone on their level. After a year that saw them lose in the second round at home in the NCAA Tournament, Coach Frese has loaded up and put her team in position to make a run at yet another Final Four berth.
Enjoy the ride.
