Covering women’s basketball this season has been an absolute joy for me. And, honestly, before coming to Iowa State I didn’t think much of women’s basketball. I thought it wasn’t as exciting or entertaining as a men’s game, but I couldn’t have been more wrong.

I’ve covered football, men’s basketball, wrestling and other various sports at ISU, as well as at my high school and other colleges. But watching this group of young women grow as a team since the beginning of the season has been an impressive experience.

Before Bill Fennelly arrived on the scene, the squad was struggling to reach double-figure win seasons. Since, he has guided the Cyclones to the NCAA tournament in just his second year, and the team is likely to follow the same path this year.

There has been an enormous surge in the number of sports and the level of play in women’s athletics since the implementation of women’s athletics into the world of sports. Even though women’s professional and college teams are still not at the level of their male counterparts in terms of crowds, revenue and media coverage, they are steadily improving in all areas. On some campuses, women actually draw more of a crowd than the men.

This past weekend No. 2 Old Dominion played No. 3 UConn in Storrs, Conn., played in front of a sold-out auditorium. The emergence of powerhouses in the women’s NCAA field has earned more television media coverage, allowing the sport to grow considerably in popularity.

At ISU, the women have played in front of three of the top eleven crowds in history. A crowd in excess of 5,000 witnessed the Cyclones knock off Iowa. Earlier this week, over 3,000 showed up to see ISU down No. 5 Texas Tech, on a night with less than optimal weather conditions.

A former athletic director here actually said it would be over his dead body that a woman would play basketball in Hilton. Well, he is no longer at ISU and he is still alive — and yet women are playing high-caliber basketball in the confines of Hilton.

In Lubbock, Texas, the school has to give away tickets in order to fill the men’s games, whereas the women often sell out. When the Lady Raiders came to Ames, they said it was one of the loudest places that they had ever visited.

Title IX has attempted to provide equality for women to men in college athletics (it also provides equality in education).

On Tuesday, professional scouts were at the game looking at some prospective players. In the United States, there are currently two professional women’s basketball leagues, the WNBA and the ABL. In the past, women had to go to Europe or play for the U.S. National Team to continue after college.

Crowds at women’s basketball games are often much different than those at men’s games, said Dr. Sharon Mathes, a sports psychologist and ISU professor. “Many people who go to women’s games are families and older people. They look at these women as the All-American girl, both athletically and scholastically as a good representation of Iowa State,” she said.

Some people say they don’t go to women’s games because it isn’t as exciting. I can honestly tell you, as a reporter and a fan, that the level at which the teams in the Big 12 play is second to none.

Legendary UCLA Coach John Wooden has publicly said that he prefers to watch a women’s game over a men’s because women are more fundamentally sound and play together as a team rather than a bunch of individuals (as the men often do).

You really lose something when watching a women’s game on TV. You really need to be there in person to witness the emotion of Stacy Frese high-stepping down the court after a big three or the intensity from Janel Grimm or Jayme Olson. The entire squad always plays extremely hard and certainly appreciates the fan support.

The few thousand people who have watched the Cyclones play this year truly know what a treat it is. For those of you who haven’t, come and find out what you’re missing. Come experience a little “Hilton Magic” with the women.

Scott Johnson is a senior in journalism and mass communication from Holstein.