Last offseason, Candace Parker went on Taylor Rooks' show for Bleacher Report to discuss a myriad of topics. One that came up was the old rivalry going back to the two-time WNBA champion's college days. Parker hadn't donned orange and white since 2008 but the fire of the UConn-Tennessee rivalry remained.
“He doesn't like me and I don't like him,” Parker said candidly.
She was speaking about UConn head coach Geno Auriemma and the politics of Olympic basketball but these two don't get to the point of contention without Parker's Tennessee teams stomping all over the Huskies back in the day (Tennessee went undefeated vs. UConn during Parker's time there). Rivalries fester decades after their on-court conclusion. The fire they bring to online debates and late-night squabbles between fans ignites interest across the sport.
That remains trues for women's college basketball and it got a taste of it last night when No. 1 South Carolina and No. 15 UCLA met at Colonial Life Arena. Throughout the bout, the Bruins hung in with college basketball's biggest juggernaut before the Gamecocks were able to hunker down in the fourth quarter. The star power between UCLA's Kiki Rice, Charisma Osbourne and Boston was must-see television and offered a glimpse into what the next few years will look like for these teams.
After the game, it was announced the two teams will play each other once a year for the next five seasons. This is what will propel the sport, which is already trending in the right direction, to heights that make men's basketball so intriguing. The play itself has never not been entertaining. However, the media as a whole has failed women for decades by not reporting on what is happening in women's college basketball.
Narratives drive rivalries and if UCLA is able to build off its strong recruiting year this past summer, the Bruins could be on the rise to challenge Dawn Staley and Co. over the next few years. Boston might even be a part of it next year if she opts to play another season with the Gamecocks after the NCAA granted athletes who were rostered in 2020 an extra year of eligibility.
Women's college hoops could use another rivalry after some of the heat died down after Parker left Tennessee. Yes, there have been rivalries since then but the consistency of which those teams played against each other created a more intimate relationship when the two foes went at each other. That is the potential of UCLA and South Carolina.
There are other contenders for this spot as well. LSU vs. South Carolina could turn into a heated rivalry if Kim Mulkey is able to make the bayou a more attractive destination for the elite talent in women's hoops (she already landed Angel Reese from Maryland). Stanford has had its bouts with the top teams in the country as well but could benefit from having one of them be a mainstay on their schedule.
The intrigue of women's basketball goes beyond just what happens on the court. While the new media, a term used for those who don't understand what traditional media actually stands for, is going to point to just focusing on the results, the fact of the matter is narratives drive interest in sports. They don't have to be fabricated or hyperbolized but sharing them is vital to growing the sport. That starts with having rivalries to write about.
Follow Us
Subscribe