Rob Knox Report: A Year in Review Spiced With a Love of the Sport

By ROB KNOX

@knoxrob1

 

To quote one of my favorite movies, “Brown Sugar”, the sport of women’s basketball is the “perfect verse over a tight beat.”

 

I fell in love with women’s basketball in 1996 during the United States National Team’s barnstorming tour leading to the Olympics in Atlanta. 

It was a treat watching Dawn Staley, Nikki McCray, Lisa Leslie, Sheryl Swoopes, Teresa Edwards and the rest of that memorable squad. I made a scrapbook of articles from that summer.

 

Through the years, my love for the sport has grown thanks to terrific teams, talented players, and tremendous coaches. In 2018, my love reached its peak.

 

The last 12 months were awesome for the sport. It was a year rich with excellence. There were legendary performances, shining moments, and comebacks.

 

Young stars from Grambling’s Shakyla Hill, who authored a quadruple-double, to the Seattle Storm’s Breanna Stewart, who led her team to a WNBA championship and to Las Vegas Ace phenomenon A’ja Wilson, the runaway WNBA Rookie of the Year, took charge and elevated the sport to another level.

 

Women’s basketball is in terrific hands. It’s continuing to grow. It’s a blessing to share my passion for the sport by raising awareness through feature stories and tweets.

 

This past year’s NCAA Women’s Final Four featured three heavyweight fights in Columbus, Ohio, between proud programs (Louisville, Notre Dame, Mississippi State and Connecticut) that excited fans, disrupted cardiovascular systems and left everybody breathless. 

There were two amazing overtime games and a pair of awesome buzzer beaters by Notre Dame’s Arike Ogunbowale that ended a pair of the greatest games in women’s basketball history.

 

The 15-point combined margin of victory in the 2018 Women’s Final Four (three games) was the fewest in tournament history.

 

Following the amazing Final Four, the WNBA enjoyed one of the most competitive seasons in its history with five teams winning at least 20 games, matching the highest total in league history. 

The season was highlighted by the Washington Mystics making their first trip in franchise history to the WNBA Finals. Both semifinal series went the full five games.

 

Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird continued to elude Father Time and perform at an absurdly high level.

 

It was special to witness and document numerous marvelous moments including being in the victorious Storm locker room after it won the WNBA championship. 

I had the opportunity to interview many phenomenal women and connect with some of my favorite players, coaches and assistant coaches in women’s basketball. For me, 2018 cemented my love affair with women’s basketball.

 

The level of play is at an all-time high level. Players are accessible and appreciative of coverage.

 I gained an increasingly new respect for the many reporters I connected with and met during the summer in person and on twitter. Many of whom, are covering the sport as a side hustle. Their passion and pride for women’s basketball inspired me.

 

The best part is the athletes aren’t afraid to use their powerful platforms to speak out on social issues, raise awareness to the pay disparity and share their unfiltered opinions. 

Their voices are being heard and they are making a difference. They continue to ignore the trolls and focus on growing the sport, having fun and building their unique brands.

 

Opportunities, especially over  in the NBA, are beginning to come in abundance for women’s basketball athletes. Becky Hammon opened the door and now many more are beginning to walk through it.

 

Kristi Toliver, as an assistant coach, and Sue Bird, as part of the front office, earned positions with the Washington Wizards and Denver Nuggets, respectively. Lindsay Harding was hired as a full-time scout with the Philadelphia 76ers. This is a major step forward. 

On Monday, WNBA Indiana Fever president Kelly Krauskopf, a long-time executive at collegiate and pro levels in the sport, was announced as an assistant GM with the NBA franchise brother Indiana Pacers, the first female to earn that high a position in the NBA.

It’s only going to continue from here.

 

Last month, the legendary Rutgers coach C. Vivian Stringer won her 1,000th career game. She has been the epitome of elegance throughout her career that started at Cheyney, a rival school 30 minutes from my alma mater Lincoln University in Pennsylvania.

 

Her legacy goes beyond the victories. A pioneer, Stringer has touched lives and made a significant impact in the world with her wonderful ability to lead with purpose, empower and educate.

 

That was the sundae topping on a fantastic year for women’s basketball.

 

I am excited to see what 2019 holds. I know for certain my love for the sport will continue to intensify.