re: USWNT's Rapinoe to Congress: 'We don't know the real potential of women's sports'

I worked for TCU Women's Basketball for 3 seasons. Had to do all their home and most away games, as well as be there for practices.

The group of girls on those teams were skilled basketball players who looked good against air. They could make shots in shoot around, handle the ball really well, and all that.

Where women's athletes fall apart is when they have someone in their face, someone pressuring them, and not letting them go against air. It was funny to watch the practice squad, which consisted of average males in the student body that would not intimidate you if they were on the other team in a rec center pick up game. These guys had to "tone it down" when they went against these scholarship girls players.

Again, these girls were pretty good for women's basketball players. I watched one girl hit 40 three pointers in a row at practice once. But they couldn't hold their own against the average male in the student body. And then they'd go out and play a team like Britney Griner's Baylor and be losing 45-8 at halftime.

My cousin played D3 ball and their athletic dept. had a good relationship with Baylor's athletic department and got to scrimmage Baylor's women one time as a favor. My cousin said his D3 team had to play by a different set of rules - no pressing, no on ball man coverage, no transition offense, no dunks - and it was still a massive blowout.

Against air, these girls look pretty good. It's just when you aren't going against air is when the illusion falls apart