Woman-on-Woman Action

Duke has knocked off Connecticut, turning the Final Four into practically an ACC Tournament redux. When was the last time a conference put three teams in the Final FOur for either gender?

On a more sinister note, the Women's Hoops Blog points to a Boston Globe article on the homophobia tactics plaguing women's recruiting, typified by the lawsuit against Penn State coach Rene Portland. It's not a new problem - I remember it being discussed in a 1997 SI article. It's disturbing to read about coaches using positions of authority to prey on the insecurities of high school students and ostracize a segment of players and fans, and it needs to stop. It will be interesting to see where this leads.

(And to think, I never thought to encounter an influence in recruiting more nefarious than shoe companies.)