The NCAA basketball season continues because the “almighty dollar” beats health

Baylor’s female basketball coach Kim Mulkey, who returned to the sideline on Saturday for the first time since December 19, said she is feeling physically good after trying COVID-19. But when asked if she is concerned about the season ending in the midst of a pandemic, she did not measure up.

“The answer is this: the season will continue. It’s called the almighty dollar,” said Mulkey after Lady Bears lost 75-71 to Iowa in Waco, Texas, ending the longest winning streak in home in Division I women’s basketball in 61 games. “The NCAA needs the almighty dollar for the men’s tournament. The almighty dollar is more important than my health and well-being, of the players or anyone else.

“A conference does this, a conference does that. The CDC says that. Everyone is confused. I’m confused. I feel uncomfortable with coaching. I understand, COVID is real. I already did – come talk to me sometime. But I don’t I know … all the calls and procedures, it will become uncommon, uncomfortable for each program. We are no different in Baylor. “

Mulkey contracted COVID-19 on Christmas Day, after contacting a family member who tested positive. She missed the most recent game at No. 6 Baylor, January 2 at TCU, and returned to the team for training on January 4, after several negative tests.

But after a positive test of the test that day, the entire Baylor program paused on January 5, canceling the Lady Bears’ non-conference confrontation with UConn on January 7 and postponing the 12 major games against Kansas State ( January 10) and Kansas (January 13). Baylor, 8-2, was without point guard DiJonai Carrington and striker Caitlin Bickle on Saturday, as these players are still in quarantine.

The rest of Baylor’s players left the break on Friday and did their first practice in two weeks with Mulkey on match day. She gave the Cyclones all the credit for ending the Lady Bears streak, saying that Baylor could probably beat some opponents with that little bit of preparation, but not the state of Iowa.

“This team has 3 points that expose us – this team has great training,” she said. “It was the perfect time for what you saw happening.”

Saturday was only the second time that the Cyclones won at Waco; the first was in 1997, in the opening season of Big 12. Mulkey praised Cyclones star Ashley Joens (27 points, 12 rebounds) and coach Bill Fennelly, who also beat Baylor 57-56 in March in Ames, Iowa. In that game, Joens hit the winning free throw and ended the streak of 58 straight wins from Lady Bears’ 12 major games in the regular season.

Baylor’s defeat on Saturday meant the two longest winning streak in women’s basketball ended in the same week. The Iowa women, who were second behind Baylor with 42 consecutive wins, lost in overtime to Ohio on Wednesday.

It was a big win for Iowa State (9-4) against the team that won or shared the last 10 titles of the regular season of the Big 12 and has three NCAA championships. Joens, a junior guard / striker, is Big 12’s top scorer with 24.6 points per game. That Cyclone victory in 1997 in Waco came before she was born.

“It’s great when you get a win like that,” said Joens. “Everyone did their job, everyone performed. Knowing that we can compete at the highest level with these types of teams, gives us that confidence for the rest of the season.”