By Whitney Spencer

Last season the University of Louisville women’s basketball team glided through the NCAA tournament to make its first appearance in the round of 16 as a No.4 seed before falling to the University of North Carolina. You knew that, right? Or did you? The U of L women’s basketball team finished ranked No.12 to end the season with their highest ranking in school history.
Along with that impressive tournament run, the Cardinals were able to down two top five teams in Depaul University and Rutgers University during regular season play. Still, after so much success the University of Louisville women still don’t get the respect they deserve.
This season U of L began the season ranked in the top 10 of every preseason magazine poll. It was the first time in school history the Cardinals had been ranked in the top 10. Louisville also brought in the No. 12 best recruiting class in the nation which included three Kentucky natives in Gwen Rucker from Lexington, Janae Howard from Owensboro, and Monique Reid’s pure talent from right here in Louisville. With the returning seven players from last year’s Sweet 16 team, this team was expected to do great things. And they have.
Being ranked No. 10 from the start, the Cards started to climb the ladder up to No.7. After an early season upset from Nevada in the Nugget Classic Championship, the Cardinals went on a 13 game win streak and reached a No.5 ranking, before falling to Big East powerhouse and No.1 ranked University of Connecticut. The Cardinals are sitting at 22-3, 9-2 in the Big East and poised to make another run through the Big East and NCAA tournament.
Regardless of what seed they receive, Louisville is going to make some noise. Here is the question I pose to you, the fans.
Why is it a men’s game can fill Freedom Hall to the ceiling but a women’s game cannot?
Are they not worthy of the attention and praise of the men?
Let’s do some comparison.
The women are 22-3 and the men are 18-4. The women have one loss at home while the men have two. Both teams average 73 points per game and both teams shoot 43 percent from the field overall for the season. The men are shooting 33 percent from behind the arc while the women are shooting 31percent.
How do other areas compare?
Leaders in:  free throw percentage-women, rebounds-women, and steals-women.
Get my drift?
Now am I saying the women are better than the men? By no means would I even attempt to say who is better. But, I am trying to emphasize these women are giving the same intensity as the men, but are given much less respect. 
They shouldn’t have to call a game ‘pack the house’ before students, alumni, and fans all over the city want to pack Freedom Hall.
As a sports fan and a supporter of female athletes, I believe that large-scale popularity for women’s basketball is certainly possible. As I sat on the sidelines with the rest of the media at the Cardinals last home game, I could feel the intensity these women play with on every possession. They leave it all on the floor night in and night out and it’s about time we show them some respect.