Facing an unprecedented rise in technical fouls, women's college basketball is doubling down on sportsmanship for the 2023-24 season. The NCAA has seen technical fouls spike by 33%, from 606 to 830 in just one year. Head coaches saw a 77% increase in technicals, while fouls attributed to bench personnel skyrocketed by 193%, as reported by the Associated Press.

Last season saw several physical confrontations, notably in games featuring George Washington vs. TCU and Georgia vs. VCU, leading to a fourfold increase in bench personnel ejections.

The Women's Basketball Oversight Committee is responding, issuing a call to uphold professional conduct on the court. An email circulated to the sport's leadership reinforces the importance of decorum and adherence to the coaching box rule. Committee chairman David Harris highlighted the “mutual responsibility” to set a positive example and maintain a respectful environment.

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“We have a mutual responsibility to serve as leaders and role models in this regard. Basketball is a competitive game, which, by its very nature, may lead to adversarial relationships between opponents,” Women’s Basketball Oversight Committee chairman David Harris wrote in an email obtained by the Associated Press. “However, the relationship should not foster a negative interaction. Individuals should employ a behavior that respects the opponent and should not create an atmosphere that negatively influences the attitude of the game.”

As part of the initiative, the NCAA required coaches to participate in an hour-long sportsmanship seminar during the offseason. This is part of a broader initiative to instill a respectful culture in the sport.

Yet, there remains a level of skepticism among coaches about the uneven enforcement of these rules, especially in the postseason. Last season's championship game incidents involving LSU's coach Kim Mulkey—who was not penalized for leaving the coaching box and contacting an official—have sparked a debate on whether the rules are consistently applied from the regular season through to the NCAA Tournament.