The Reaction to the Women’s Final Four is a Shame

I won't label Sunday's NCAA women's basketball championship between LSU and Iowa as a missed opportunity, but it leaned that way. The game was a fantastic one, with terrific offensive play, clutch individual performances, and shooting that was eye-popping for all forty minutes. 

But while the interest before this title game garnered as much, if not more, than I've ever witnessed for a women's championship, the talking points after show why the opportunity to grab a hold of a plethora of new watchers to the women's game may have failed. 

To watch LSU's Angel Reese, Alexis Morris, and their supporting cast play as hard as they do during a game is what the sport should be all about. And the whirlwind created by Iowa's Caitlin Clark this season with her ability to just own a game from the offensive end of the floor made her the talk of all of college basketball recently, both on the women's and men's side. 

I was glued to the television on Friday night watching the two semifinal games and couldn't wait for the showdown yesterday afternoon. And while the game was really, really good, I came away a little disappointed. 

The all too familiar plight of referees making themselves a bigger part of a monumental game reared its ugly head again as the threesome in this game decided to call an absurd 37 total fouls, a horrible technical foul, and conducted the game in a way where neither coaches or players knew how they could coach and play the game. 

And then there was the taunting by Reese, geared toward Clark - pointing to her ring finger and giving the "you can't see me" gesture that Clark used against South Carolina the game before. 

It's all a shame. I've said Clark was my favorite player to watch play this season but that I couldn't stand her attitude on the court at times. I didn't like it against South Carolina, and I didn't like Reese's response yesterday. I hated the officiating and I'm not a huge fan of the actions of LSU coach Kim Mulkey. And I'm disappointed in myself. Disappointed that these are the talking points after what was another fantastic game in the women's tournament. But Sunday, unfortunately, the view of great basketball was blurred. 

The annual Fanatic Knockout Tournament never fails to bring us a great time at a Philadelphia 76ers game, interaction with some of our regular listeners, and fierce rivalries between hosts looking for bragging rights over the next year.

The Sixers took down the Dallas Mavericks 116-108, and Ryan from Collegeville took home the Knockout trophy after an intense game on the court at the Wells Fargo Center after the game.

All listeners who participated enjoyed a night at the Sixers-Mavs game on us and a fun time on the floor in a solid round of a game that brings (sometimes unexpected) intensity every time. Luckily, there were no schoolyard moves when a player chucks an opponent’s ball away to play illegal defense.

Tyrone Johnson worked the mic, and Connor Thomas was the last member of the Fanatic staff standing.

Tom Alvord, the station’s defending champ from 2022, elected for some load management by producing the Sixers game back at the station in a selfless effort.

How will the conversation between Connor and Tom play out to open their Sunday morning show?

The Fanatic Knockout Tournament was presented by Ferguson HVAC – your Delaware Valley Trane Heating & Air Conditioning Distributor. Visit Trane.com to find a Trane HVAC dealer near you.

Live courtside coverage from Wells Fargo Center
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