WNBA Stars Called Out The NCAA For The Difference In Weight Rooms At The Men’s And Women’s Tournaments

March Madness is here, and this weekend the first and second rounds of the Men’s and Women’s NCAA Tournaments will take place in their respective bubbles in Indianapolis and San Antonio. Putting on the tournaments and providing teams with the necessary court and workout space is an immense undertaking, but one the NCAA certainly has enough financial backing to do from the billions raked in by putting on the tournaments.

In Indianapolis, the men’s weight room is an expansive room filled with everything a team could need to stay at their best for the upcoming tournament, while in San Antonio, there is a very different story for the opening rounds. Ali Kershner, the Sports Performance Coach at Stanford, posted a side-by-side of the men’s room and the pitiful offering to women’s teams in the opening round, noting that the paltry rack of dumbbells (that go to a max of 30 pounds) and some thin yoga mats was what teams could use prior to making it to the Sweet 16.

It is ridiculous to see the stark difference in the men’s facilities compared to the women’s facilities, and the photo went viral on social media as stars from the WNBA took notice and called out the NCAA for what is sadly a fitting visual of the difference in investment put into the men’s game compared to the women’s game.

The NCAA released a statement later in the afternoon, saying they were “actively working” to find more space to upgrade the workout and training facilities.