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-foot-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.
What Leslie started, 6-4 Candace Parker took to another level as a do-it-all forward/guard/center at Tennessee, knocking down 3-pointers, 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 she has also drilled 49 3-pointers in 31 games and is second on the team with 86 assists.
This year's Lady Vols feature 6-6 center Kelley Cain.
The long list of stars 6-3 or above also includes UConn's Tina Charles - whose team has won 72 consecutive games - Ohio State's 6-4 Jantel Lavender and the other half of Stanford's dominant frontcourt, 6-4 Jayne Appel.
ACC champion Duke has won with a frontcourt that plays mostly with backs to the basket - 6-4 Krystal Thomas and 6-5 freshman Allison Vernerey.
Duke coach Joanne P. McCallie says tall players are playing more positions.
"Sometimes it's hard to find the traditional post because so many post players want to step out and shoot the 3," she says. "It's always exciting to see players who can play with their back to the basket. It makes the game exciting. I think it makes the game more diverse."
