Rebecca Lobo, a legendary women’s basketball player and ESPN pundit, recently opened out about a disturbing encounter with misogyny on social media. One of her players got knocked down while coaching her 15-year-old son’s AAU squad.
“I had an experience that I had never had before.” Lobo quoted to uk.sports.com
Lobo’s automatic reaction was to yell, “That’s a foul!” and she was given a technical foul by one official, as is customary. What happened next, though, was anything from ordinary: the opposing referee approached her, highlighting the depressing prejudice she had to deal with.
Lobo related an instance where she heard the referee reply in a surprising way and responded coolly and normally. This is a game for grown men. The UConn player and WNBA All-Star was shocked to hear the male referee tell her, “This is not a women’s game,” and was taken aback that a statement of that kind could be uttered in 2024.
Lobo’s Support for Women’s Basketball Is Activated by the Referee’s Startling Remark
The referee’s presence was especially noteworthy, even though he was officiating a game involving athletes who were only 15 years old and not “grown men” on the court.
An experienced official kept a close eye on the young players, who were still honing their talents and sportsmanship. This added an extra dimension of professionalism and seriousness to the game that was beyond their years.
As a well-known supporter of women’s basketball, Lobo keeps up her advocacy for the game by working as a broadcaster for professional and collegiate competitions.
She recently encouraged people to watch Saturday’s WNBA game between the Indiana Fever and New York Liberty, which she and Ryan Ruocco would be announcing live on ABC, demonstrating her commitment to the sport.
The referee that Lobo described is probably not going to be watching, which emphasizes that certain people still have a long way to go before they are accepted.