Women's College Basketball: Big Heroes for Little Girls
By Heather Murphy 12.02.04

Unlike most NBA players, the opportunity is slim for Ivory Latta to make millions of dollars playing basketball, grace the cover of famous magazines or become a household name.

But as point guard of the University of North Carolina (UNC) women's basketball team, Latta's dynamic moves and uncanny ability to get the crowd on it's feet have made her a favorite of aspiring girl's basketball players.

"She's such a good player," 11-year-old Jacqueline Noll said. "She can do everything."

Not an NBA Game
As Latta and the Tarheels faced reigning national champions from the University of Connecticut (UCONN) at a recent game, Noll clearly showed where her support lay. In a light blue t-shirt with the words "Carolina girls…" on the front and "best in the world" on the back, Noll proudly displayed UNC team colors.

The light blue and white pom-pom affixed to her ponytail swished back and forth as she followed the action on the court.

"I like the players," Noll said about UNC. She also added that "blue's my favorite color."

In the same week when Ron Artest and other famous NBA players were suspended for attacking their fans at the end of a Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers game, the atmosphere in Raleigh could not have been more opposite.

The crowd did not assemble to watch a primetime nationally televised game or well-known players like Artest. There was no celebrity half-time show or expensive give-aways. The National Anthem was simply a recording.

Rather, hundreds of girls like Noll gathered to watch four of the best women's basketball programs play. Girls supporting UNC, UCONN, University of Tennessee and North Carolina State cheered from the stands, glued to every move the players made on the court. Proceeds from their admission were donated to cancer research.

Enthusiasm in the Stands
Dressed in basketball themed t-shirts with rolled sleeves, boot cut jeans, jelly bracelets and big, dangling earrings, the pre-teen fans huddled in groups. They watched the games while clapping, laughing and eating ice cream.

Their ribboned ponytails and homemade signs of hot pink poster board seemed to leap out in the air when their favorite team scored.

A group of players from Bennett Elementary in Bennett, NC, traveled to Raleigh together to watch the college girls up close.

"State is going to win," predicted Lori Bayles, whose smile distorted the red and white NC State scrawled on her cheeks.

Jessica Tucker liked NC State too. "They work good together as a team," she said.

Jenna Kidd threw her support to UNC because "they're good." Jessica King agreed with her friend, and added that Latta is her favorite player to watch too.

"She's short," King said. "But still good."

Sisterhood on the Court
On the court, the crisp passes, high arching 3-point shots and behind the back dribbling drew roars of praise from the girls in the stands. But it wasn't the basketball skills that kept the girls excited. It was the player's enthusiasm and teamwork that electrified the arena.

The players constantly high-fived each other. Each team's bench jumped to their feet at a made basket or referee's whistle. Every time the clock stopped for free throw or inbounds pass, the five girls on the court huddled and gave a team cheer. At timeouts, every member of the team gathered around the coach, offering support to the players in the game.

Before the game, the UNC girls danced pre-rehearsed moves as the starting line-up was announced. The UCONN girls formed a line by height that stretched across the width of the court, reverently raising their eyes towards the stars and stripes as the National Anthem played.

In the close game between UCONN and UNC, Latta looked up into the stands during a timeout and began pumping her outstretched arms up and down. With her palms facing up, she started jumping in the middle of the court, encouraging the crowd to get on their feet.

And the crowd responded, raising the volume in the arena to a roar. One young girl in the front row, swimming in a UNC blue t-shirt and wearing a blue clown wig, began waving her pom-pom in the air.

As the final buzzer rang, the victorious Tarheels celebrated their win on the court, hugging and praising each other as if they had just won Olympic gold.

As they mugged for the ESPN and newspaper cameras capturing the moment, the girls' faces beamed proudly. The girls watching the celebration from the stands beamed right back at the team, with big eyes taking in all the excitement.

Everyday Heroes
As coach of the high school Junior Varsity girls' basketball team in Currituck N.C, Ginger Morris knows all about the importance of role models for her young players. She traveled with her team for four hours one way last year to see the annual games in Raleigh.

"It's important to support girls' sports and show them [the young players] it." Morris said. "I wanted to show them there is somewhere to go with it."

Morris said the team's favorite part of the trip was meeting the players after the game.

"My girls waited by the fence and begged the players to come over," Morris recalled.

When the college players finally passed by, the girls were rewarded with autographs and "tons" of pictures.

"They were so cool," Morris said about the college players. She remembered how they spent time with her team, answering their questions and posing for photos.

"It was important," Morris said. "It showed them that they mattered too."