When people think of Women’s basketball on any level it is hard to ignore the accomplishments of the great Pat Summitt. Summitt won 8 NCAA championships and coached countless All-SEC and All-American performers. Summitt stepped down as the head coach of the University of Tennessee due to early onset dementia. Though Summitt’s health forced her to leave the game early she will always be remembered for her impact on the sidelines, but also having a huge impact on the world of sports.
It took the sports world a while to recognize Women’s Basketball. With Pat Summitt one of the leaders of the forefront she helped the game expand its popularity. Coaching at Tennessee, Summitt had a factory of players who went on to become great pros and coaches. Players such as Kara Lawson, Candace Parker, Tamika Catchings, and Chamiqua Holdsclaw are just a few names to mention. What we see in college basketball today with the so-called “super teams” were implemented years ago by women’s basketball program at UT.
Women’s basketball is still gaining popularity, but without Pat Summitt being apart of it I would be afraid to see what it would be like today. Coaches such as Geno Auriemma and Tara VanDerveer have what it takes to propel NCAA Women’s Basketball onto another level. Though the game is expanding more than ever due to the popularity of Skylar Diggins and Brittney Griner we all have to remember who helped lay the foundation.
Watching the University of Tennessee will be odd without Summitt on the sidelines. The game of Women’s basketball will lose a legend, but it has also opened the door for Holly Worlick to create her legacy. Summitt deserves more than a pat on the back for what she has helped accomplished. She has left the women’s game in far better shape than it was in the 1970s. Though Summitt will be not in the public eye as much her impact will be everlasting.
She really changed women’s basketball as a kid when I thought women’s bball Pat Summitt came to mind first how tight is that ?