Women’s basketball players speak out against unequal NCAA Tournament facilities

Players have found stark contrasts in weight rooms, merchandise, and the quality of food compared to the men’s basketball tournament.

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Hannah Kinson

A basketball is seen on the court during a game between Iowa and Wisconsin on Jan. 27 at Carver Hawkeye Arena.

Chloe Peterson, Sports Reporter
March 19, 2021

The NCAA is facing backlash on the disparity of tournament facilities for the men’s and women’s basketball teams in the 2021 NCAA Tournament.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the NCAA requires all players and staff to stay in a “bubble” for the duration of their time in the tournament. The men’s basketball tournament is being held in Indianapolis, and the women’s basketball tournament is being held in San Antonio, Texas.

On Thursday, multiple women’s basketball players spoke out on Twitter about the difference in weight rooms, the quality of food, and the merchandise provided by the NCAA. The weight rooms for the men’s teams featured an array of squat and lifting racks, cardio machines, and various dumbbell sizes, while the women’s weight room only had dumbbells up to 30 pounds and yoga mats.

 

On Thursday night, the NCAA released a statement acknowledging the disparities.

“We acknowledge that some of the amenities teams would typically have access to have not been available inside the controlled environment,” said Lynn Holzman, NCAA vice president of women’s basketball, in a release. “In part, this is due to the limited space and the original plan was to expand the workout area once additional space was available later in the tournament. However, we want to be responsive to the needs of our participating teams, and we are actively working to enhance existing resources at practice courts, including additional weight training equipment.”

Here’s what players, staff, and others had to say about the facilities: