What Young Me Would Think About: 2024 Women in Sports

Caitlin Clark, Simone Biles, Sha'Carri Richardson…Women are dominating in the sports world today, and people are finally noticing. As a former athlete, I can’t help but wonder: what would little me think about this? Introducing “What Young Me Would Think About,” a series where we reflect on what the kid versions of ourselves would think about today’s world. 

So what would young me think about the popularity of women in sports today? 

Sports were a big part of my childhood. I come from a family of girls who played sports pretty much all year round thanks to an amazing dad who coached us and an incredible mom who drove us to every single practice and game. To us, girls were always dominant. Even in high school, the teams I played for were always undefeated champs, while the boys’ team, let’s say, tried their best. I’m convinced my high school basketball championship game in 2009 had more fans in attendance than the average New York Liberty game that year. Ok maybe that’s not totally accurate but the point is this: there was a lot of enthusiasm around girls in sports back then, but that enthusiasm seemed to taper off when that girl became a woman in sports. 

I remember going to a Liberty game in 2008 when a few teammates and I were picked to scrimmage other kids during halftime. We played to an arena that was mostly empty, but we didn’t mind at all. We got the chance to play on the iconic court at Madison Square Garden - who cared how many people were there to watch? I didn’t…until I returned to a Liberty game this past summer. (Editor's note: My sister Nicole is way too humble to add that she made a ridiculous jumpshot from the elbow with a swish on the iconic court. But her older sister, me, is not.)

Sixteen years later, almost to the day, my family and I attended a game, with the Liberty’s home court now at the Barclays Center. And guess what? There was not an empty seat in the house! It was jam-packed with screaming fans - both men and women - proudly flaunting Liberty apparel and having an absolute blast with the now viral mascot Ellie. (If you don’t know her, you must look her up.) I looked around and couldn’t help but think about that empty game in 2008. I was proud and excited at the difference I was seeing, but also a little fired up and confused. What took so long? Is it all thanks to Caitlin Clark? Is it because the millennial generation is now in positions of power? Am I part of the problem considering I went sixteen years without going to a WNBA game myself?

These are all part of the growing list of questions that adult me has on the topic. There is endless discussion about why it’s happening and whether or not the interest is here to stay. But when the debates get heated, I just think about what little me would think about all of it. And it’s pretty simple. She wouldn’t care about the why or what’s next. She would just be happy it’s happening. 

So let’s not question it. Let’s just enjoy it.

Everything’s fine,

Nicole