Women’s basketball lacks coverage

To the editor:

Discrimination may be too strong a word. Gender inequality might be a better description or how about gender bias? That is perhaps the best term that describes The Gazette's coverage of the Iowa Women's Basketball Team's success this season.

More specifically, I am referring to the front page sports section on Feb. 9. The day before this edition, the Iowa Wrestling Team beat Penn State. The men's basketball team blasted Maryland. The Hawkeye Women earned their 19th win of the season beating Wisconsin. Three victories in one day by three different Iowa teams - all events deserving of front page coverage in the sports section. The Gazette featured on the next day's front page one story about the wrestling team and two stories about the men's basketball team. The women's story was buried on the third page.

On Feb. 12, the men's basketball team lost to Minnesota. The women's basketball team (ranked #13) beat Nebraska (#20) at Nebraska for the first time since 2005 to earn their 20th win. The next day The Gazette featured one article on the front page about the CR Titans and two articles on the Iowa Men's Basketball Team. The women's story was buried on the third page.

I ask simply: What does the Iowa Women's Basketball team have to do to grace the front page in The Gazette's sport section?

Jean Hammill

Marion