No More Crumbs: Equity in Women's Basketball, Part One
Why this matters
New Global Sport Institute Field Study data show that after the passage of Title IX, women's saw an influx of mostly White men as coaches, creating a disparity that lingers today. Part One of a new series on the Global Sport Matters Podcast tells the stories of two pioneering women coaches who fought for equity in the game.
Guest host and producer Karen Given tells the intertwining stories of Muffet McGraw and Marianne Stanley, two pioneering women's basketball coaches who have seen the changes in the sport from before Title IX until now. The two discuss the challenges in travel, treatment and compensation in the early days of NCAA women's basketball, the lawsuits that created change, and the meaningful triumphs along the way.
Given also speaks with Danielle Donehew, the executive director of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association and a former director of basketball operations for the University of Tennessee women's basketball program under Pat Summitt, about the legacy of Summitt and the work of advocacy groups like the WBCA to create parity and equity in the sport.
This is part one of "No More Crumbs." Stay tuned next week for Part Two.
In the meantime, find and follow the Global Sport Matters Podcast here.
Monthly Issue
Taking Charge in Women's Basketball
Across the world, basketball is relatively unique among team sports with the volume of women who play and coach in its ranks. Still, trends in the sport’s leadership don’t accurately reflect the athletes who put in the work each day on the court.
While a diverse crop of head coaches at HBCUs has not created a pipeline to the Power Five, new momentum behind women’s sports has helped carry women’s basketball to new heights. Can an exciting, outspoken generation of leaders in the sport turn it into a more equitable and popular avenue for women to thrive as leaders and athletes?
