Sports

JOHN ZENOR AP Sports Writer

There’s been a growth spurt in women’s basketball.

Fans watching the NCAA women’s tournament will see more versatile 6-foot-3 or taller players than ever, a couple playing above the rim and plenty facing the basket with guard skills — their games patterned more after LeBron than Kareem.

“Back in the day, if you were a big person, you were a back-to-the-basket kind of player,” says Anne Donovan, a 6-8 force who won Olympic gold medals in 1984 and 1988 and was the 1983 college player of the year at Old Dominion. “It was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the men’s game, and the women’s game had the same style players.

“Our game has evolved like the men, where we’re not back-to-the-basket for post players any more. I think you started seeing that evolution with (6-5) Lisa Leslie and it’s just continued.”

Has it ever.

Coaches say the increasing popularity of the women’s game has resulted in more girls playing at an early age, and these players are more skilled. Though the game is growing, the average woman isn’t — she still stands about 5-4. Women on average have grown just eight-10ths of an inch since the early 1960s, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Still, the major conferences feature a host of athletic, versatile players. National championship contenders like Tennessee and Stanford enter the NCAA tournament with the size of many men’s teams in smaller conferences. Even their point guards are 6-footers.

A look at rosters from the six major conferences — Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, ACC and Pacific-10 — from the mid-1990s shows that the number of 6-3 or taller players has nearly doubled in some cases.

And their roles have grown along with their stature.

What Leslie started, 6-4 Candace Parker took to another level as a do-it-all player at Tennessee, knocking down 3-pointers and dunking off the dribble.

Now there is Brittany Griner, Baylor’s towering 6-8 freshman, who has gained YouTube fame with her dunks and blocks. Stanford’s 6-4 Kayla Pedersen leads one of the tournament’s top contenders in scoring and rebounding, but has also drilled 49 3-pointers in 31 games and is second on the team with 86 assists.

This year’s Lady Vols features 12 players 5-10 or taller, topping out with 6-6 center Kelley Cain.

“Just the mobility of the post players throughout the country, it’s amazing, compared to 10 years ago,” Tennessee coach Pat Summitt says. “Being out recruiting and seeing some of these young players, there’s some post players out there that could step in and play at the college level.”

The long list of stars 6-3 or above also includes UConn’s Tina Charles — whose team has won 72 straight — Ohio State’s 6-4 Jantel Lavender and the other half of Stanford’s dominant frontcourt, 6-4 Jayne Appel.

There are still some back-to-the-basket players like Donovan, now coach of the WNBA’s New York Liberty. But just like in the men’s game, more of the bigs in the women’s game are slashers, with quick moves, crossover dribbles and showtime passes.

“You’re seeing more kids 6-3, 6-4, 6-5. You’re seeing them in all dimensions,” said Kim Mulkey, Griner’s coach at Baylor. “You’re seeing them broad and then you’re seeing them long and athletic. You’re seeing a variety.

“It’s because women’s basketball is a very visible sport at the collegiate level. Kids are seeing it at a young age and they start playing bitty, AAU and select basketball. There are just more of them involved.”