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Mad about March MadnessI realize that spring is a time of change, but this year, I'm not liking it. A person I love working with is changing jobs. Two of my closest friends are moving away. Couples I'm invested in are breaking up. One and only one thing will get me through this iffy time: March Madness.
I hear that men play basketball this time of year, too, but I don't pay much attention. In fact, I think I'm something of an enigma to my basketball-loving friends because I am not a "basketball fan," I am a "women's basketball fan." I have no clue what the top men's teams are. And I don't care. I also don't care much about statistics or analysis. I just love watching women play the game. Moments like this are why.
Lest you not appreciate the beauty of this play, I should tell you that Nicky Anosike, No. 55, is 6'4" without her arms fully extended. I do believe Ms. Myia McCurdy has a helluva jump. The bottom line for me is that I find inspiration in watching talented women doing something they are passionate about. It makes me passionate, too. I cry like a baby at the buzzer of the championship game.
If one of the teams of my heart, like Tennessee, wins the championship, I cry straight through to the net cutting.
This championship moved me to tears for days afterward. As a matter of fact, I got teary-eyed when I saw this picture today, three years later.
I went to Baylor, and we didn't have much of a women's basketball team before Kim Mulkey went to Waco.
In 2005, she took the team to the school's first ever Final Four. And they won.
I know, I know. I'm fawning over Kim. But the woman personifies everything I love about basketball: talent, passion and, well, hotness. Oh, did I not mention that I think women's basketball players are hot? Oops. The thing is, though, that I think players are hot while they're playing, regardless of what I might think otherwise. But enough about me. This year, the No. 1 seeds are pretty standard: UConn, Maryland, Tennessee and North Carolina. The only moderate surprise was Maryland; Stanford expected a No.1 because they were Pac-10 champs and beat Tennessee, Rutgers and Baylor during the season. But both Maryland and Stanford have seniors who want a championship. Crystal Langhorne of Maryland, ACC player of the year, is the fastest post player in the country and shoots at 60 percent.
I have no idea why they punished her.
Stanford guard Candice Wiggins hasn't been to a Final Four yet, and this is her last chance to take Stanford there. She scored 21 points against Tennessee — no easy feat. And, at the risk of being trite, she is a wonder to behold.
If Wiggins plays her best game, we may see Maryland and Stanford duke it out in the Elite Eight. (Of course, Stanford would have to beat Baylor along the way, which I simply will not concede.) Other outstanding seniors with their eyes on the prize: Sylvia Fowles of LSU, who is in contention for the No. 1 draft pick in the WNBA, is the SEC Player of the Year. Yes, she is dunking here — only the sixth woman to do so in a college game.
Erlana Larkins and Latoya Pringle are two of UNC's greatest forwards. Both are All-ACC. If one of them is heavily defended, the other one will score. That's how UNC won the ACC tournament and that's why I think they will be in the Final Four.
Not technically a senior, but in her last year nevertheless, is Candace Parker of Tennessee, ESPN.com's Player of the Year and the other contender for No. 1 WNBA draft pick. Parker is one of the best players in the college game, period. Yet, every year, she gets better.
Parker plays forward, center and guard. She was the first woman to dunk in an NCAA tourney and first to dunk twice in the same game. She led the Lady Vols to the SEC championship this year and the national championship last year. She wants another one. So does her coach.
That brings me to another great basketball woman — the game's winningest coach, Pat Summitt. Most wins, period, men or women. By this time next year, she probably will have 1,000. Her teams have won seven national championships and have been to the Final Four 21 times (including AIAW and NCAA) in her 33 years as UT coach. She's also the first women's coach to be on a Wheaties box.
The cameras tend to focus on Summitt when she's yelling or in a player's face. But she doesn't just randomly fly off the handle. She is always coaching, always pressing the team to be better, always telling a player how to improve. To me, she's a joy to watch.
If the women's playoffs make you as happy as they make me, you may be interested in checking out the AfterEllen.com forum thread about a bracket contest team that some readers have cooked up. It's not affiliated with this site, of course, but it looks like fun. Will you be watching the NCAA Women's Playoffs? Who are your Final Four teams and players to watch? Any predictions? I'm looking for UConn and Tennessee in the championship game with the Lady Vols taking home the gold. Again.
Your turn. Submitted by on March 21, 2008 - 9:01am. |
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Brackets.
I have done the brackets for both the mens and the womens tournaments for a couple years now.
I have Connecticut winning for the men and the women. The womens team is incredible this year. They only lost once.
I have already royally screwed up my mens bracket. I had USC in the final four and they lost.
I'm a little biased with Connecticut. They are my favourite team. But this year they have a good chance of winning.
Lady Vol #55
Just wanted to mention in that top Picture #55 is Nicky Anosike not Candace Parker.
I know this because I am obsessed with the Lady Vols and have been since the early 90's.
Great Sports Name
Nicky Anosike
It is one of those names that is just really fun to say.
Beat me to it!
Oh luvbug, I am happy someone else out there is as obsessive as I am about the Lady Vols, and noticed that so quickly.
And, a little inside scoop, I have it on good authority that Ms. Candace Parker is actually more like 6'5". :)
http://legallyout.blogspot.com
UT ROCKS, but...
Aw man! You beat me to it!
OMG
Love women's bball!
I, too, have been a Lady Vols fan for a number of years now, and Pat Summitt is one of my favorite women. Her drive and passion is inspiring. And Parker is so fun to watch (and she is a senior academically; she red-shirted her freshman year because of a knee injury. So, in basketball terms, she has one year of eligibility left but is a fourth year student).
This year's tournament will prove quite interesting. Of course, I am rooting for my Vols, but I would also like to see Stanford go far. The Pac-10 always seems to get ignored and there is a lot of talent out west. Candace Wiggins is a terrific player, and Jayne Appel can flat out play - what a post presence. Coach VanDerveer is a class act, and I like the way she coaches.
UConn has great teamwork, but I like Rutgers out of the east. They play blue collar basketball ,and I love watching them. It'll be interesting to see if UNC and LSU meet up; I've picked LSU to win that match-up simply for the Fowles-White-Chaney factor (with Thomas tossed in for good measure).
Texas A&M has momentum on its side, and I have picked them to beat Duke. I'm curious to see how Texas will fair in the tournament considering how well they have improved towards the end of the season. And DePaul could sneak up on people, given how they played UConn.
Regardless, I just like watching women's sports, basketball (and soccer) in particular, so I'm excited no matter what.
Patient: There's like this longing ... this pull. I mean, does that make me, you know, like, some kind of...?
Maeby: Homosexual.
Tobias: Maeby, please. She's right, though, you probably are a homosexual.Brackets
I have 22 brackets rockin' this year (11 for the men and 11 for the women). I do not watch the guys until the tourney. But the women I watch whenever games are on. There is something about women sports that is so much more exciting. Don't get me wrong I love football, it is hands down my favorite sport, but women are so cut throat, its awesome to watch.
If I had to pick a common theme, I have Rutgers winning (though what is up with the pairing of Rutgers and Uconn meeting to go to the final four) over Tenn in a rematch from last year. I'm a homer what can I say, I love RU!
For the guys I have Pitt in an upset over NC but most others have NC winning it all. I have a soft spot for 'Nova but I cannot pick them this year and it makes me sad! :(
Oh well... the madness has begun, that's for sure!
March Madness
My Final Four is: UConn, UNC, Stanford and Tennessee. I'm debating whether or not to switch out Stanford for Maryland, but I can't come to any resolution.
If any one's interested in joining a bracket challenge for the women's tournament, we've set up a special one for AE members on ESPN.com. Get all the information you need to register, here. Registering with ESPN does have some age limitations (under 18 needs varying forms of parental consent), but I'm sure most are savvy enough to skirt them.
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Geoffrey: You fool! As if it matters how a man falls down.
Richard: When the fall is all that is left, it matters a great deal.
- The Lion in Winter
No love for Huskies?
After losing (?) DT, finally, this year they look like a NCAA Champion contender!
Hells yeah
Oh my yes...
Did anyone else find it surprising to hear that Kara Lawson is engaged...to a man?!
Kim Mulkey
You're taking me back to high school, when I was NCAA basketball-CRAZY! The first women's game that I saw on television was the 1982 final, won by Mulkey and Lousiana Tech. Also missed hours of university classes every March watching the men's game.
I have always admired Pat Summit and Tenn, but have love for U Conn (Sue Bird!!) and Maryland (relatives down there).
Another dyke who fawns over Kim Mulkey
If you've never seen Kim Mulkey coach, you've missed something! Animated, energetic, intense...I could go on and one. And darn cute, too.
Her book, "Won't Back Down: Teams, Dreams and Family," is delightfully free of coach-speak. I highly recommend it.
Sic 'em, Lady Bears!
Do you not see the mullet?
Can Mulkey really be hot if she has a mullet?!? hahaha
Great post though. Who knew you had it in you linster, I had no idea you were a bball fan! Always good to see sports on the site, thanks!
Lady Vols!
Oklahoma State Cowgirls!
Watch out for my OSU Cowgirls #3 Seed in the New Orleans bracket! Andrea Riley scored 45 points against OU & the Paris Twins during first round of Bedlam this year. We should have received the #3 spot in the OKC Regional - but that's another story.
Go Cowgirls!
You bet
Elbows, elbows, elbows
Wow... I feel validated! I have noticed the same thing! What amazes me is how the refs let her get away with it... REALLY noticed during the first OSU v. OU (bedlam) game. Fans around me were also commenting on it but I thought maybe we had orange shaded glasses on!
My girlfriend is an OU alum - but when it comes to Women's Basketball we're pretty supportive of each others teams. Now...other sports...lol... not so much.
But I even have to say that I the Sherri Coale is hot... or is it her voice. I dunno. ;)
My DVR is gonna be FULL!
Too many games, too little time. I love March. I dream of seeing my Cavs at the final four *sigh*. Debbie Ryan and Sharnee Zoll are amazing.
No, I didn't pick them in my bracket! I like to win!
I'm also excited to see Temple and Coach Staley in tournament play; obviously with the profile pic! She's UVa Women's ball royalty! Shhh, we won't mention Xavier.
It has to come down to the Huskies and the Vols. I've changed my bracket champs like 10 times now. It's a tough call.
Huskies vs. Vols
Agreed...and I hope that when Geno Auriemma and Pat Summit witness the reaction of women's college basketball fans from across the globe, they'll rethink the decision to take the UT-UConn meeting off the regular season schedule.
-----
Geoffrey: You fool! As if it matters how a man falls down.
Richard: When the fall is all that is left, it matters a great deal.
- The Lion in Winter
UT-UConn meeting
I thought it's Pat who called it off.
Mmm...But I'm totally biased. I love Geno, though he can be an a** sometimes, he makes great players and teams.
But, yeah, bring back the meeting!
Back and Forth
There seems to be a lot of back and forth about who called it off and why...
I'm not really sure who's actually responsible.
I just want the damn game back!
-----
Geoffrey: You fool! As if it matters how a man falls down.
Richard: When the fall is all that is left, it matters a great deal.
- The Lion in Winter
seriously
that really pissed me off. Why would they do that to the fans.
btw, my mens bracket is done. I had UConn winning the championship and they lost.
Pat did call it off. Maybe she didn't want to lose to UConn?
NYT women's bracket
This must be a Purim miracle - the New York Times has a women's bracket! Fill it out, even if you know nothing about the teams, just to show interest.
http://q8.nytimes.com/pages/sports/ncaabasketball/bracket/women/index.html
I created an AfterEllen Group
The code is: 992de23422keoQ51kScrCtmNDJ51qGxmJw
enter on the NYTimes site when you are creating your own braket, and lets let them know that queer women really DO watch women's basketball!
California
Huskies v. Lady Vols
With the Lady Vols winning it...UConn is good but Candace Parker is freaking fierce when she's ready. Weirder things have happened in the world of sports though. Case in the point, UConn's men's team ousted in the first round? Meh? I'm no UConn fan, but it has to be a weird feeling for them regardless.
Oh well :D
"Karma! It's everywhere you're going to be!" - Anonymous
“The liar’s punishment is not in the least that he is not believed, but that he cannot believe anyone else.”
— George Bernard Shaw
Candace Parker
Have to agree with you, even as a die-hard Huskies fan.
She's phenomenal, and definitely she's the one factor I'll be very worry about if Champisonship comes down to Lady Vols and Huskies.
But Lady Vols is not undefeated this year, thus Candace Parker and crews are not unbeatable.
It's going to be fun!
Go Terps!
Candace Parker is my buddy! lol
So i love Candace, shes a great player and such a nice person. She went to high school in Naperville Central here by a Chicago suburb, and i went to West Chicago....we totally played against each other, not many people get to say that so i always brag about it too...shes a good buddy of mine, i talk to her every once in awhile on aim so im lucky...lol but yeah i've always been a fan of her and the Lady Volts, its exciting to see they win....i totally taped that championship game against the Rutgers...i cant wait to see what happens this year! ;)
~Ceci
A story on ESPN
It's not about Huskies or Lady Vols (though there is any other regarding to Geno v.s. Pat), but touching upon certain homophobia climate in the NCAA women basketball.
Very interesting
http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/player.swf?mediaId=3307835
Thanks for the link
My girls lost!
Ok, so I might have been just a little sad when Virginia didn't pull it out in overtime. *Sigh.* It was home court advantage, that's all.
But I have to give it up for that ODU NBA-range three! Beautiful.
I will say the games have been really good this year though, which is a testament to the amount of talent that's out there.
I wish ESPN2 wouldn't jump around so much.
Lady Vols in OKC