NCAA basketball season continues because ‘almighty dollar’ trumps health

Baylor women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey, who returned to the sidelines on Saturday for the first time since December 19, said she was feeling good physically after experiencing COVID-19. But when asked if she was concerned about the end of the season amid a pandemic, she didn’t mince words.

“The answer is, the season will go on. It’s called the almighty dollar,” Mulkey said after the Lady Bears lost 75-71 to Iowa State in Waco, Texas, ending the longest winning streak on the field in Division I basketball at 61 games. “The NCAA must have the almighty dollar of the men’s tournament. The almighty dollar is more important than the health and well-being of myself, the players, or anyone else.

“A conference does this, a conference does that. CDC says this. Everyone’s confused. I’m confused. I’m uncomfortable coaching. I understand, COVID is real. I got it – come on. talk to me one day. But I don’t know… all the calls and procedures, it’s going to continue and make it unusual, uncomfortable for every program. We’re no different at Baylor. “

Mulkey contracted COVID-19 on Christmas Day after contact with a family member who tested positive. She missed No.6 Baylor’s last game, Jan. 2 at TCU, then joined the squad to train on Jan. 4 after several negative tests.

But after testing positive that day, the entire Baylor schedule was put on hiatus on January 5, canceling Lady Bears’ non-conference showdown with UConn on January 7 and postponing all 12 Big 12 games. vs. Kansas State (Jan. 10) and Kansas (Jan. 13). Baylor, 8-2, was without goalkeeper DiJonai Carrington and forward Caitlin Bickle on Saturday as those players are still in quarantine.

The rest of Baylor’s players came out of the break on Friday and had their first training session in two weeks with Mulkey on game day. She gave the Cyclones all the credit for ending Lady Bears’ streak, saying Baylor could likely beat some opponents with that little preparation, but Iowa State couldn’t.

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

Saturday was only the second time the Cyclones had won in Waco; the first was in 1997, in the inaugural Big 12 season. Mulkey praised Cyclones star Ashley Joens (27 points, 12 rebounds) and coach Bill Fennelly, who also beat Baylor 57- 56 last March in Ames, Iowa. In that game, Joens pulled off the winning free throw and ended Lady Bears’ 58-game Big 12 regular-season winning streak.

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

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

“It’s really good to be able to have such a victory,” said Joens. “Everyone did their job, everyone executed. Knowing that we can compete at the highest level with these types of teams, it kind of gives us that confidence for the rest of the season.”