R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Women’s basketball head coach Joanne P. McCallie asked for it during this season’s kickoff celebration, and while it may have taken a while for her to get it, it’s better late than never.
Thankfully, the women’s basketball team is getting the recognition it deserves. Making it to the semifinals of the WNIT is not an easy feat.
The team has a wonderful coach in McCallie and the women’s basketball team is probably one of the best teams at MSU this year.
It just goes to show that hard work pays off.
More than 2,500 fans attended the Women’s National Invitation Tournament semifinals Tuesday night at Breslin Center. The former home attendance record for a WNIT game was 1,491, set March 14 when the Spartans defeated DePaul in the first round.
This is the first time in school history that the women’s team continues to play after the conclusion of the men’s season, which may account for some of the new fan base. It seems men’s basketball fans, who have found themselves without games to attend, have jumped on the postseason bandwagon to support the women.
But it’s sad fans only support women’s basketball when its male counterpart aren’t playing. Those fans should follow the example of men’s basketball players, who can often be found attending women’s games when their schedule permits. Six of them sat in the crowd Tuesday to watch MSU’s quarterfinal victory.
Women’s sports in general have to overcome many obstacles. They’re not as popular with fans and they don’t bring in as much revenue as men’s sports. But the latter may be able to be changed if spectators start recognizing the hard work and dedication women players have and start attending their events.
We hope newfound fans of the women’s team will stick with the sport and continue to follow its success.
Women’s basketball certainly deserves just as much recognition as men’s, and in a perfect world, its crowds will recognize that as well.
McCallie and her team are finally getting some R-E-S-P-E-C-T, but let’s just hope this respect will stay with them even after this season ends.
