Women’s sports are growing in popularity and coverage. Particularly at the college basketball level, thanks to recent notable players like Juju Watkins, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese.
Viewership and coverage have surged. Players themselves have gained star power and an increased opportunity for endorsements. The sport is bigger than ever.
This growth has not been without issue. It has opened the Pandora’s box that is rabid sports fandom and all that comes with that.
While widespread coverage of women’s college basketball has expanded, and with this, so has NIL and other similar endorsement opportunities, not all athletes benefit from this boost.
There is still the issue of fans gravitating more to ‘conventionally attractive’ players. This unfortunate trend leaves some athletes on the outside looking in at fellow athletes receiving a portion of this financial windfall.
“There is a lot more exposure and sponsors now in women’s college basketball,” said Michelle Smith-McDonald. “The unfortunate byproduct of this is that players who are thought of as attractive are going to generate more of these things.”
This disparity in coverage is not new, though the growth of social media has undoubtedly contributed heavily of late.
There is a responsibility that falls on both journalists and their audience to advocate on behalf of less-covered athletes.
“There are lots of individual stories to be told,” said Smith-McDonald. “We have to demand that as consumers and as the press, we have an opportunity to expose and tell the stories of all players. We need to cast a wider net.”
Journalists can make a difference by carefully choosing which stories and athletes they highlight, while audiences can drive change by being intentional about the content they gravitate toward and consume.
Athletes being covered differently is a clear issue unless being intentionally obtuse is one’s approach to women’s sports.
An overlooked issue that needs to be addressed so that women’s sports are thought of correctly is the idea of those new to them appreciating women’s sports instead of validating their existence.
There is an essential distinction between these two ways of viewing women’s sports.
Appreciating women’s sports is centered on recognizing that they are the same as men’s. It is built on acknowledging or realizing that the skills and competition on display are inherently equal to that of the men’s game.
Validating women’s sports is driven by the idea that women must prove their worth or legitimacy in a sport in order to be acknowledged. For those who operate this way, validation becomes a prerequisite for acceptance.
Many, perhaps unintentionally, end up doing the latter. They see their favorite male athlete showing an interest in women’s sports and think it now might be worth their time to watch.
“Lots of people follow the thinking of, ‘I thought it sucked, but Kobe says it is good, so maybe I will try it,'” said Smith-McDonald.
Kobe himself was cognizant of this issue and was intentional in his praise of women’s sport. He understood his power and his pedestal and used it wisely.
“In the past, there was a big Kobe factor,” Smith-McDonald said. “He gave his input on many women’s players from an appreciation space, not a validation space.”
Smith-McDonald didn’t say it directly, but this is another issue that’s rectifying falls on journalists and their audience.
Especially journalists, who have the power to both bring awareness to this overlooked issue and avoid perpetuating it in their coverage.
The future of women’s sports is brighter than it ever has been. Journalists have a part to play in the battle to ensure this opportunity is seized but done so correctly.
Perhaps a more significant role than most realize.
