Las Vegas is a city known for its glitz and glamour. But neither was spotted at what was supposed to be a showcase of the country’s top women’s basketball teams this holiday weekend. Women’s Her Las Vegas Invitational, which included teams like Louisville and Auburn, went viral on social media. It’s an embarrassingly understated setup: a hotel ballroom with no stands for spectators.
Games at the Mirage Hotel include:
Indiana coach Terry Mollen, whose team beat Auburn and Memphis in tournaments and remained unbeaten in seven games, paints an experience she thinks the success represents a “step back” for women’s basketball. did not allow
“We have an obligation to grow our game, but we completely missed this opportunity because there are so many really good teams representing the conference,” Mollen said. “It would have been a great opportunity…. In my opinion, this was a huge failure in terms of helping the game grow.”
Moren explained that the site coordinator apologized for the setup, but would also like to see some reflection on those who “promised” in the process of inviting her team to the tournament. According to Moren, the tournament “wasn’t explained to us what the venue would look like or what the set-up would look like.”
Back in March, tournament director Bryce McKee said: reportedly in Indiana The Women’s Las Vegas Invitational will have courts similar to those used by the emerging Athletes United Basketball league in early 2022.
“I’m very sorry,” site director Ryan Polk told ESPN. “The courts and lighting weren’t an issue. But we had to have the full bleachers. We informed the Mirage that we would never come back. This was an event. It wasn’t how we thought or planned.
The tournament also appears to have fallen short of its goals in terms of safety. Auburn’s Harissa Richardson was injured while rushing for a loose ball during her team’s game against Colorado State on Saturday night, and paramedics arrived on the scene to rescue her, according to a Tigers radio broadcast. It took me over 40 minutes to help.
Medical delays prompted Moren to consider not playing Saturday’s game against Memphis with the team. However, after consulting with her athletic director and coaching staff, she decided it was a “safe environment” and went ahead with it, a decision made by the Hoosiers’ guard at Friday’s game against Auburn. Grace was let down after her burger hurt her knee.
“Grace’s injury wasn’t caused by the floor,” Mollen said via ESPN.
