Never mind on that Title IX spam – er survey – rule. But what next?

Wednesday, April 21st, 2010

By Laura Pappano Never mind. That was message in Tuesday’s “Dear Colleague” letter issued by the federal Office for Civil Rights. Never mind about that 2005 policy saying it was OK for colleges to meet a Title IX compliance prong gauging female interest in sports by sending out internet spam – er, ...

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Six Sports Thoughts: From women’s B-ball to golf pay gap

Tuesday, April 13th, 2010

By Laura Pappano Who says people don’t watch dominance? UConn’s NCAA Tournament run brought ESPN more viewers than in 2009. According to Nielsen, the final UConn-Stanford game drew 3.53 million viewers, up 32 percent from the 2009 final of UConn vs. Louisville. The Final Four averaged 3.16 viewers, up 22 percent ...

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What does “female” leadership look like? Just watch UConn.

Tuesday, April 6th, 2010

By Laura Pappano It’s time to think beyond the court. Sure, there’s a lot of back-and-forth about whether UConn’s dominance – winning streak of 78 and beating almost all opponents by double-digit margins – is bad or good for women’s college basketball. The basic argument: Is it too boring to watch? Or ...

Posted in Basketball, Money, Power & Politics, The Athletes | 1 Comment »

Guys, stop whining about women’s basketball — and just tune in

Tuesday, March 30th, 2010

VS.? By Laura Pappano Baylor Coach Kim Mulkey has a number in mind: 47,492. That’s how many fans went wild last Sunday in Houston for the men’s Baylor-Duke matchup. After her team upset Duke in a thrilling 51-48 win last night, Mulkey made the point: She wants the same support in San Antonio ...

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March Madness: Barometer of women’s sport progress?

Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010

By Laura Pappano There may be other ways to judge progress, but this year's NCAA Women's DI Basketball Tournament offers signs worth noting: 1. PRESIDENTIAL PICKS. For the first time, President Obama filled out NCAA DI Basketball brackets -- for the women's tournament. (See image at right -- or click here.) Last year, ...

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Call to political action: Fill out your (women’s) NCAA brackets!!!

Monday, March 15th, 2010

By Laura Pappano This year we expect Connecticut to march all the way to San Antonio -- and then some. But that doesn't mean there isn't water cooler-worthy debate to be had around match-ups all over the bracket (not to mentioned good basketball to be watched). Anyone remember last year when ...

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Griner’s punch not about women’s sports, but sportsmanship in all college play

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

By Laura Pappano Here we go again. Baylor’s Brittney Griner’s outrageous act last Wednesday – the now-viral YouTube image of her socking Texas Tech’s Jordan Barncastle after the two jostled beneath the basket – has some wondering: What’s going on in women’s sports? We had foul-mouthed Serena last summer, and then the ...

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They bring fight, but get sunk by fouls: Rhode Island women’s season ends (Year 2 begins)

Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010

[caption id="attachment_1137" align="aligncenter" width="577" caption="The Rams gather before the game; freshman Anisha Wilson "][/caption] The Playbook The Playbook is an occasional series on University of Rhode Island Women’s Basketball team and head coach Cathy Inglese as she works to turn around a losing program. See most recent prior entry here. By Laura Pappano When ...

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It is time for the UConn women to play against the guys?

Friday, January 22nd, 2010

By Laura Pappano Obviously, the UConn Women's Basketball team under coach Geno Auriemma isn't merely good. They are dominant. Of 20 games played so far, they have won 14 of by more than 30 points (including four by more than 50 points). The closest game was a 12-point win over Stanford. So ...

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“Listen up, here!” Rhode Island Coach Cathy Inglese in real (game) time on physical defense and killer three-pointers

Wednesday, January 6th, 2010

[caption id="attachment_899" align="aligncenter" width="676" caption="Coach Cathy Inglese wants tougher defense against Holy Cross"][/caption] The Playbook The Playbook is an occasional series on University of Rhode Island Women’s Basketball team and head coach Cathy Inglese as she works to turn around a losing program. Check out previous installments here, here, here, and ...

Posted in Basketball, The Coaches | 2 Comments »