During the 2011 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, TNT analyst Charles Barkley had an exchange with Reggie Miller about whether Teresa Edwards was the best women's basketball player ever. Regardless of whether he was right, that type of conversation is something women's basketball needs more of and Edwards' Naismith Hall of Fame nomination is a good opportunity.
Ohio State center Jantel Lavender articulates discusses how she navigates being a feminine athlete. The question is what exactly does it mean to be a feminine basketball player?
The cause is not only about supporting women's sports as a movement or exhibiting support for Title IX, both of which are important. But the cause is also fundamentally about making sure that girls are encouraged to seek the same benefits from sports participation as boys and have cultural support to maintain involvement once there.
Today, I am a parent, a former middle school travel basketball coach, and the former director of the same program. It's in that role I blog today for the National Women's Law Center's Rally for Girls' Sports Day.
Minnesota Lynx guard Candice Wiggins doesn't need a books or stats to understand the significance of speaking out about the HIV/AIDS epidemic in black communities- as many WNBA fans are well aware, Wiggins lost her father to AIDS before she really even got to know him.
University of San Francisco women's basketball head coach Jennifer Azzi (left) has been a WNBA ambassador and advocate for women's fitness since retiring from playing professionally. She took a few moments to speak about Title IX last week at the WNBA Fit Clinic in Seattle.
The respect for the WNBA and its players that Boston Celtics guard Nate Robinson has talked about on a few occasions was part of the reason why Robinson saw his participation in the Seattle Storm's recent WNBA Fit Clinic on the morning after Game 1 of the WNBA Finals as important.
Although LSU coach Bob Starkey's description of her might make her seem like an extraordinary individual, it's worth noting that Phoenix Mercury guard Temeka Johnson considers what she does as far more ordinary than the praise of her coach and the positive press she's attracting seems to indicate.
When the Shock announced Faith and Family Night, complete with a post-game Christian concert and discounts for buying "family packs" and church sections of tickets, I rolled my eyes. Great. Perpetuating the stereotype that so many link with Oklahoma. But when I dig deeper, this Faith and Family Night fits more than I ever imagined.
The value of people like Washington Mystics owner Sheila Johnson taking a stand is that they have the power to give others the courage to take a stand. Even if it's just influencing people close to us, we all need someone to inspire us to find our own voices before any reasonable action is taken.
