The Other Side of the Locker Room

One of the great frustrations of being a women’s sports fanatic is the lack of coverage and appreciation for women’s sports. It's a problem on many levels. Almost all the men’s leagues were started before the women’s leagues, leading to the dreaded gender marking (WNBA vs. NBA, World Cup vs. Women’s World Cup) that exemplifies and emphasizes the perception of women’s sports as secondary. 

Even at Santa Clara, the men's basketball team has the Instagram tag @santaclarahoops while the women’s team has @santaclarawbb. On the other hand, the soccer teams have the tags @scumenssoccer and @scuwomenssoccer. This intentional example of practicing equity highlights the difference between the soccer teams and the basketball teams–reflecting a theme here at Santa Clara. 

Photos by Santa Clara Athletics, Graphic by Isa Montes

The female athlete’s experience changes based on what team you’re on.

“Yeah, it's very different,” said Tess Heal, sophomore and star guard on the women's basketball team this year. “I think it's as simple as we get 50 to 100 people to our games, and maybe 10 of those are students–and the men get 500 to 700–minimum.” 

While Heal sees it as an issue with fan attendance, she also struggles with the lack of support from the men’s basketball team. 

“I think that not many people care, even though we have a good record and are doing really well,” said Heal. “The men themselves don’t care. Every single girl here could tell you when the men play next and they wouldn't have a clue when we play or who we play.”

Women’s soccer players have had a radically different experience. 

“Women's soccer is a very prioritized sport, here,” said graduate goalie Marlee Nicolos. “We have great student turnout for games and we feel supported by the athletic department. Plus, I feel like we have a pretty good friendship with our male counterparts.” 

Even Nicolos, who has generally felt like she was treated equally to her male counterparts in soccer, acknowledges that she is lucky to be the exception to the general rule. 

“I think that's just kind of an institutionalized thing, that women in sports have always been finding that if you're successful, everyone's successful,” said Nicolos. “But with college football and men's basketball, it's not always true that their success is lifting up their women's programs.”

While there are frustrating differences generally in how female athletes are treated, it does seem that discourse is moving in the right direction. Both Heal and Nicolos mentioned Caitlin Clark, a superstar basketball player at the University of Iowa, as someone who is helping advance the game and overall recognition for female athletes. 

“I think as a society we're stepping in the right direction,” said Heal. “Caitlin Clark is doing wonders for women's basketball. As time progresses we just need more people like her to continue to advocate for the game.”

Clark’s stardom has brought attention to women's basketball, which is worth celebrating for those who want more recognition for female athletes. 

On Feb. 7th, Congress recognized “National Girls and Women in Sports Day,” a holiday that was first recognized in 1987. On this day, many of the national men’s leagues and teams posted pictures or names of the women on their staff, and women’s leagues, like the National Women’s Soccer League posted, deeming it the “best day of the year.” 

Hopefully, the day is representative of an energy around women’s athletics that will only continue to grow over time. 

“I think at the end of the day, what we're seeing right now is that investing in women's sports is a smart investment,” said Nicolos.