None of the players or head coaches in the Division 1 NCAA Women’s Basketball Final Four was “publicly out” this year. Iowa has two out assistant coaches and at least one very supportive player.
Outsports has reviewed the social-media accounts of all of the players and coaches in this year’s women’s basketball Final Four. The two semifinal games pit the NC State Wolfpack against the South Carolina Gamecocks, and the UConn Huskies versus the Iowa Hawkeyes. Per Outsports’ guidelines, none of the players or head coaches are publicly out this year.
That doesn’t mean that none of the women are LGBTQ, or even out in their own lives. Outsports has long taken a conservative approach to defining who is “out.” This entails someone either stating clearly to members of the media that they are LGBTQ or proof that they are living “clearly publicly out as LGBTQ” on social media.
None of the 53 women currently listed as players on the women’s Final Four teams’ rosters, or any of the teams’ head coaches, are clearly publicly out. The two men’s coaches — NC State head coach Wes Moore and UConn coach Geno Auriemma — are each married to women.
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There are, not surprisingly, no one in the Men’s Final Four who’s publicly out either. There’s only ever been one publicly out gay athlete while competing in the Men’s tournament: Derrick Gordon of Seton Hall.
One athlete still playing in the tournament who has expressed support for the LGBTQ community is Iowa’s AJ Ediger. She has an Instagram story stream dedicated to the LGBTQ community, and shared a lovely, inclusive prom picture.
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That certainly doesn’t mean she’s gay, lesbian or otherwise LGBTQ. Still, the support for our community from the athlete is welcome.
There are at least three assistant coaches Outsports could identify as LGBTQ, including UConn’s Morgan Valley. She won three National Championships with the Huskies and has been a coach on Auriemma’s staff for three seasons. The team hosted a Pride Night earlier this year.
Iowa has two out assistant coaches. Raina Harmon has shared beautiful wedding photos of her and her wife.
Iowa’s Jan Jansen has also shared pictures of her partner.
Still, none of the players are clearly publicly out. And neither are any of the head coaches.
At the next level, in the WNBA, at least a fifth of the players are publicly out as LGBTQ. The discrepancy leaves people wondering.
Why would so many WNBA players be publicly out? Particularly in comparison to the players and coaches in the NCAA women’s basketball Final Four?
To be sure, WNBA players are older and mature. Many of them are in long-term relationships or married. That can certainly account for part of the difference. Frankly, very few of the players share any kind of relationship photos on their Instagram accounts, gay or straight.
Determining who meets Outsports’ “publicly out” criteria is an art, not a science. So if we missed someone, do drop us a note at [email protected].
Regardless, we’re looking forward to a few good games this weekend to end a great season.
