NCAA basketball season continues as ‘almighty dollar’ trumps health

Baylor women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey, who returned to the sidelines for the first time since December 19 on Saturday, said she was feeling physically well after experiencing COVID-19. But when asked if she was worried about the season ending amid a pandemic, she did not say.

“The answer is this: the season will continue. It’s called the almighty dollar,” Mulkey said after Lady Bears lost 75-71 to Iowa State in Waco, Texas, and the longest winning streak in the home base in Division I women lost. basketball on 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 me, the players or anyone else.

“One conference does it, one conference does it. The CDC says it. Everyone’s confused. I’m confused. I feel uncomfortable training. I understand, COVID really is. I had it – come talk sometime “But I do not know … all the calls and procedures, it goes on and on making it unusual, uncomfortable for any program. We are no different at Baylor.”

Mulkey contracted COVID-19 on Christmas Day after contacting a family member who tested positive. She missed Baylor’s last game, Jan. 6, on Jan. 6 at TCU, and then rejoined the team for practice on Jan. 4 after several negative tests.

But after a positive test of the day, the entire Baylor program came to a standstill on January 5 and canceled the Lady Bears’ clash with UConn on January 7 and Big 12 games against Kansas State (January 10) and Kansas postponed (January 13). Baylor (8-2) were without guard DiJonai Carrington and forward Caitlin Bickle on Saturday because the players are still in quarantine.

The rest of the Baylor players came off the break on Friday and had their first training session in two weeks with Mulkey on the day of play. She gave the Cyclones full credit for ending the Lady Bears series, saying Baylor could probably beat opponents with little preparation, but not the state of Iowa.

“That team has three points that expose us – that team has good coaching,” she said. “It was the perfect timing for what you saw happen.”

Saturday was only the second time the cyclones have won in Waco; the first was in 1997, in the first season of the Big 12. Mulkey praised Cyclones star Ashley Joens (27 points, 12 rebounds) and coach Bill Fennelly, who also beat Baylor last year in Ames, Iowa, by 57- 56 beat. In that game, Joens hit the winning free throw and ended the Lady Bears’ winning series Big 12 in the regular season with 58 games.

Baylor’s loss on Saturday means the two longest active winning streaks in women’s basketball ended the same week. Iowa’s women, who were second behind Baylor on 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 has won or shared the past ten Big 12 rules for regular seasons and won three NCAA championships. Joens, a junior guard / forward, is the Big 12’s leading scorer with 24.6 points per game. That Cyclone victory in 1997 in Waco came before she was born.

“It feels really good if you can achieve such a victory,” Joens said. “Everyone did their job, everyone did it. Knowing that we can compete at the highest level with these types of teams gives us the confidence for the rest of the season.”