Column: Women’s Basketball Deserves More Love

Stepping into Gentile Arena for the first time is something many students look forward to each season. The loud and packed student section has been praised by coaches and players, with fans screaming so loud you can hear it in the broadcasts. 

This isn’t the experience at a women’s basketball game. The student section is cut in half and never as loud. Attendees can even clearly hear the teams communicate on the court. 

As I write this on Feb. 7 — National Girls and Women in Sports Day — I can only think about how Loyola students should give the same amount of love to the women’s team as they do the men’s. 

As the beat writer for women’s basketball for the second half of the season, I’ve grown to love the community head coach Allison Guth has created. She always embraces the “sisterhood” and makes sure everyone on her team feels wanted and a crucial part of the organization. 

She does this for her players and every person in Gentile Arena during games. After the final buzzer rings, most coaches get up, shake hands with the other side and occasionally interact with the crowd if the team wins. This isn’t the case with Guth. 

As I finish up my game notes and send my final score tweet, Guth grabs a microphone and thanks the entire crowd — including the student section, spirit teams and band — for coming to support the team, even if they lose. She compliments the coach of the opposing team and key components from the other players.

The last home game I worked was against Saint Joseph’s University. There was a priority housing raffle available for the students who are living on campus next year. At the end of the third quarter, winners were announced and the majority of students left the arena. 

By the time the game ended, all of the remaining students started filing out. Guth was ready to give her post-game speech, and the first thing she did was ask the students to wait a second and hear her speak. 

In the press conference following the game, Guth said in her opening statement how thankful she was to have the student support, saying it was the highest student support the team has had since she’s been here. 

She also mentioned being at the Jesuit Jam game the night before and seeing the massive turnout the men’s team had and wished women’s games had the same turnout. 

“The Pack student section gave us life,” Guth said. “Please come back. It was absolutely inspiring for us. And I tell you what — this team deserves this type of crowd.”

Players like graduate guards Alyssa Fisher and Sam Galanopoulos turn out amazing performances each game, with averages of 13.5 and 13.3 points, respectively. 

But they aren’t the only ones. The younger members of the team like second-year guard Kira Chivers, first-year guard Audrey Deptula and second-year guard Mallory Ramage put in meaningful minutes for the Ramblers, putting their offensive potential and defensive skills on display.

Both the men’s and women’s teams finished last in the Atlantic 10 last year — their first year in the conference — but are on the up this season. However, the growth of the women’s basketball team has no parallel.

Last season, the Ramblers recorded one conference win in a tight contest against Saint Louis University — their first game as members of the conference. This season, they sit at 6-6 in conference and 12-11 overall and are currently eighth in the A-10. 

Loyola women’s basketball is roaring back and they need the support from the students to spur them further.

In their home wins, the average attendance has been 836, with the lowest being against Chicago State University at 165 and the highest being versus Southern Illinois University Edwardsville with 3,747 — which included Chicago Public Schools students who were in attendance for Field Trip day rather than Loyola students. 

In their 12 wins at home, the men’s team averaged an attendance of 2,825. The most recent home game against Davidson College brought in the most this season at 4,253 people. The least attended win was against Chicago State University with 2,003 people, which is more than the average women’s win. 

In their home losses, women’s basketball attendance averaged 415. A low of 201 fans attended the game against Brown University, and a high of 579 attended against Saint Joseph’s University — the game previously mentioned for the housing raffle. 

The men’s team has only lost two games at home, against University of Illinois – Chicago and University of Richmond at 2,659 and 1,834, respectively. 

These numbers suggest the Ramblers perform better when people show up, and they deserve everyone there supporting them. 

The chemistry and bond the team has is hard to put into words. The best way to experience it is seeing the team in action on the court. The constant teamwork and selflessness each member has on the court is unmatched.

Each member of the team cares for each other. From the coaching staff to the players and even the managers, there is so much love on this team — and it’s a love they want to share with the Rambler community. 

In the experiences I’ve had with the women’s basketball team, I leave Gentile feeling loved by the community Guth talks about all the time. This feeling is one I believe everyone who is a part of the Loyola community should experience more — and that starts with being there and supporting the Ramblers.

Featured image by Megan Dunn | The Phoenix