The Evie-dence: Basketball sexism goes deeper than the lack of funding 

On Sunday, the University of Connecticut men’s basketball team fell to Florida in the second round of the March Madness tournament. Despite the pain that comes from the end of the UConn men’s basketball dynasty, many people are turning to the women’s team in hopes that they can bring the glory back to UConn. While our women’s basketball team holds more weight than women’s teams do elsewhere, it is never the focus of the season when the men are playing, despite being the winningest Division I women’s basketball team. It takes the failure of our men’s sports to draw attention to the women. Why must our men fail for our women to be duly recognized? 

When the inequality in men’s and women’s sports is criticized, those defending the system typically bring up the WNBA’s failure to create a profit and generate viewership. The WNBA is currently operating at a loss of $40 million, despite record game attendance and network viewership. While the NBA owns about 60% of the WNBA and funds many of their operations, the WNBA still has to raise capital from investors like Nike and female politician Condoleezza Rice. The money from these suppliers is not enough to drive effective marketing campaigns or draw meaningful viewership that will bring the league a profit. With these factors in mind, it is easy to pass off WNBA’s underperformance as a funding issue, but lurking behind the scenes is a deeply rooted and unconscious societal issue.  

Historically and in modern day, women are valued as performers. We idolize singers like Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter and Lady Gaga. But why don’t we idolize female athletes, who are also performing, in a sense, the same way? The answer is simple. They don’t dress and act the way we want them to. When society thinks of a female performer, they imagine glitzy and revealing outfits that highlight their femininity and sexuality. This is why when Billie Eilish exploded into the spotlight, she was questioned about her baggy outfit choices which did not fit the mold of a teen popstar. For the same reason, society wrongly discounts females in sports because they aren’t the image of sexuality that people desire.  

Even when women in sports aren’t looking for it, society finds a way to sexualize them anyway. As two of the leaders in women’s National Collegiate Athletic Association basketball, Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers helped draw many new viewers to the sport. Even they couldn’t escape this phenomenon. Throughout their collegiate careers, their reputation and image has been shaped by TikTok edits sexualizing them and speculating on their sexuality. This shapes the narrative that despite the social change they drive or the skill that they’ve worked hard to achieve, women will always be valued first by their looks. 

Another defense for the lack of viewership in women’s sports stems from society’s view of the biological difference between males and females. It is not incorrect or sexist to acknowledge that men are biologically built stronger and faster than women. Sometimes this makes games exciting, as viewers can appreciate the feats of the human body. It is incorrect, however, to fail to acknowledge the skills that female athletes possess that men do not. Women are known to enhance teamwork, prioritize strategy and execute sports with a high level of trained skill. This makes women’s sports equally entertaining and impactful. While we can appreciate female athletes for their training to reach their peak level of fitness, we should also recognize what they do for young girls and their emotional development. Watching and participating in team sports helps young girls develop confidence and a taste for teamwork, which they will need as they navigate a society where young women view each other as competition.  

So how can we give females in sports the recognition that they deserve? We need to change the narrative around women’s sports. For every exciting buzzer beater in a men’s game, there is a female equivalent. Point out the positives that women’s sports bring to a community. Recognize female leaders for their hard-earned skills, rather than their perceived sexual value. Actively choose to watch women’s sports and share them with those around you. The values that drive the current inequality are deeply engrained in society and in each of our mindsets, so it is time to take an active role in dismantling this structure and giving women the attention they deserve.