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As the school year comes to an end and we finally have some time to reflect on this past season, I cannot be thankful enough for my teammates like Sam Clark, who have helped me grow and develop as a person and player along the way. This past week at our annual Block F awards dinner with all Fordham Athletics teams, Sam Clark received the Co-Female Athlete of the Year! Her relentless drive and unselfishness is something I admire and truly wish her the best of luck in her future endeavors. I am a better person having had the opportunity to spend the past three years with Sam as a teammate, roommate, and friend. xoxo

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Player Spotlight: Freshman Lauren Holden!

Whether it’s fist-pumping after a big play or diving for a loose ball to get possession, this year’s freshman Lauren Holden, always brings the energy. She was named this year’s team Most Improved player after stepping into the starting point guard position midway through the season and leading us to a strong finish to conference play. Check out #2′s answers to our survey below!

Name: Lauren

Nickname(s): L

Hometown: Cape May, NJ

Favorite off-day activity: sleeping

Go-to on campus meal: anything at the grille

Most embarrassing basketball moment: dribbling past half court and going back court

Secret talent: singing

Dream job: being a mermaid

Favorite pre-game song: anything Drake

Favorite movie: Leap Year

Favorite part about being a FUWBB player: We all love each other like family

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Player Spotlight: Sophomore Point Guard Asnate Fomina!

This week’s player spotlight is my roommate and our team’s point guard, Asnate Fomina. Traveling all the way from Latvia, we’re so happy to have Asnate and her warm heart on our team.

Name: Asnate Fomina

Nickname(s): Snot, Snate

Hometown: Riga, Latvia

Favorite off-day activity: Walking around Central Park 

Go-to on campus meal: Cosi Pick-Two 

Fun fact: Asnate is a point guard for her country’s national basketball team

Dream job: A psychologist 

Favorite part about being a FUWBB player: Being able to come to America on scholarship and 

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The Female-Athlete Paradox

The article, The Female/Athlete Paradox, written by NYU psychology student, Andrea Paloian, precisely illustrates the societal pressures that female athletes face in American culture. The female-athlete paradox stems from the idea that gender is simply a social construction. In line with societal standards and expectations, stereotypes and gender roles have laid a distinct line between what actions are considered feminine and masculine. 

Paloian notes, “feminine women are not ruthless, not aggressive and not victorious. It’s not feminine to have a killer instinct nor to want to win with all your heart and soul.” With this said, women, expected to be feminine based on the gendered stereotypes, face a social dilemma upon entering the world of sports, which is culturally viewed as a masculine domain. Paloian continues her article by highlighting the ways in which female sports differ from male sports and the ways in which females feel socially obligated to go through specific actions to maintain their femininity while playing “masculine” sports. 

As a female athlete, I can completely connect to this issue. While it is not something I necessarily worry about anymore as an adult, when I was growing up in middle school and high school, this conflict definitely crossed my mind. The reality of the situation was that anyone who played sports was a jock. With masculine connotations, girls who liked sports were always seen as different from the others. In efforts to eliminate ourselves from these stereotypes, my friends and I took any measure possible to attempt to maintain our femininity while in our uniforms. This included throwing bows in our hair at soccer practice, keeping our earrings in shooting the basketball around in the gym, and especially making sure we had makeup on despite the difficulty of washing the makeup-sweat combination off of uniforms. 

While these efforts became normal for me, this article opened my eyes to the problems behind this paradox and how the media continues to reinforce this polarity. The female athletes shown in magazines and ads are often “done up” and represent a feminine ideal: often white, heterosexual, tall and lean. These images are produced to further reinforce their femininity, because it would be a shame if they came across as masculine.

At the end of the day, this issue is also faced by men who compete in feminine sports such as iceskating and cheerleading. Images of muscular and toned males graze the covers of the most popular magazines on the shelves. Rather, athletes should be recognized for the blood, sweat and tears they have put into their training, which has resulted in them becoming the outstanding athlete of recognition. The media needs to recognize that champions come in all genders, shapes and sizes, however, what connects us all is our love and passion for the game.

You can find the article by Paloian below:

http://steinhardt.nyu.edu/appsych/opus/issues/2012/fall/female

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Today’s player spotlight is me! 

Name: Danielle Padovano

Hometown: Dayton, NJ

Age: 20

Nickname(s): DP, Peezy, Paddles, P

Position: Forward

Favorite NBA player: Blake Griffin *-*

If you won the lottery how would you spend your money: I would buy a beach house for my immediate family. My brother and I had such a blast when my parents use to rent a house in Ocean City, MD when we were little and I would love to have one to call our own!

What do you want to be when you grow up: When I grow up I want to work in publicity for an entertainment company.

Favorite Basketball Memory: Last year I scored the winning shot in overtime then proceeded to trip over the girl I shot over and fall flat on my face on national television. 

The best part of being a FUWBB player: My teammates. I love having 9 sisters that I never thought I would have. I know many of these relationships will last me throughout my life. 

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Back on the court after a two week rest, FUWBB is ready to use this post season to get better. With weekly workouts restricted due to NCAA rules, now is the most important time to get in the gym on our own and get to it! Here’s a picture of us after pickup!

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Player Spotlight: Kristen “Swish” Ryan

Pictured below (right), Kristen has been a great addition to our basketball team this year. As a freshman, her enthusiasm and excitement for the game and all of her teammates makes her an blast during practice. Kristen, also known on the team as Swish for her on-point foul shooting, always brings a smile to her teammates faces which is why I picked her for this week’s player spotlight!

Name: Kristen Ryan

Nickname(s): Swish

Hometown: Malvern, PA

Favorite off-day activity: Sleep

Go-to on campus meal: Grille Caesar Salad

Most embarrassing basketball moment: I think there are too many to list 

Secret talent: I do not have any

Dream job: An entrepreneur and go on shark tank 

Favorite pre-game song: Anything Fetty

Last Netflix binge: The Office

Favorite part about being a FUWBB player: Hanging out with the team

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The end

After a long yet exciting week away from the boogie-down Bronx to take on the Atlantic-10 tournament in Richmond, Virginia, the women's basketball team’s 2015-16 season has come to a close. Through the ups and downs of the season, it is safe to say that I have not only matured as a basketball player but also as a person. I am thankful for all of my teammates who have taught me more this season than I could ever imagine. Finally, and most importantly I would like to thank my seniors. Dij and Sam have stepped up and out of their comfort levels this year for the team and have set an example that will be hard to follow as my class will be stepping into the senior positions next year. Through them I have learned how to be a better leader and fiercer competitor. They will truly be missed.

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Player Spotlight: Khadijah Gibson

Today’s player spotlight is one of our two seniors, Khadijah Gibson. As one of the most hardworking and passionate people I know, Dij has helped make my last three years at Fordham a blast. Her dedication to her craft is a testament to her determination and will allow her to have an incredibly successful future.

Name: Khadijah Gibson

Nickname(s): Dij

Hometown: Upper Marlboro, MD

Favorite off-day activity: Reading books

Go-to on campus meal: Buffalo Chicken Wrap at the Grille

Secret talent: Making people laugh and smile uncontrollably

Dream job: CEO of my own Asset Management firm

Favorite pre-game song: Public Service Announcement by Jay-Z

Last Netflix binge: House of Cards

Favorite part about being a FUWBB player: The memories created with my teammates and coaching staff.

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On Saturday, February 13th, FUWBB played in our annual Play 4 Kay basketball game. Play 4 Kay is an initiative created as a result of the collaboration of the Kay Yow Cancer Fund and the Women's’ Basketball Coaches Association. Named in honor of Coach Kay Yow from North Carolina State University’s women's basketball team, this initiative brings together coaches and athletes across the country together to support the cause of finding a cure for women's cancers. Throughout the month of February, players and coaches show our support for this great cause by wearing pink! Fordham women’s basketball is happy to be a part of the movement!

Check out the recap of our “pink” win against LaSalle by clicking the link below! 

http://fordhamsports.com/news/2016/2/13/WBB_0213162648.aspx

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This is the view from my balcony at the hotel we are staying at for our game tonight against Saint Josephs, PA. A win here will bring our record to .500 and put us in a strong position heading into the end of our in-conference schedule. Just 23 days until our conference tournament begins in Richmond!!

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#FlashbackFriday

Exactly halfway through our in-conference season and approaching our matchup with Richmond, I began to reminisce on our big home win against the Spiders last season. This was a night I will never forget. It’s hard to bounce back when you fall flat on your face on national television.

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Player Spotlight

Helping snap our two game losing streak with a career-high 15 rebounds, junior guard Danielle Burns sat down with me for this week’s player spotlight.

Name: Danielle Burns

Nickname: DB, Burns, Burnie

Hometown: Gainesville, Virginia

Favorite off-day activity: Sleeping and cooking

Go-to on campus meal: Salad from the grill

Most embarrassing basketball moment: Running down the court and a player behind me falling and pulling at my shorts during a game

Secret talent: Really good at making musical.lys

Dream job: Graphic designer for a professional sports team

Favorite pre-game song: Man in the Mirror by Michael Jackson

Last Netflix binge: Jane the Virgin

Favorite part about being a FUWBB player: Hanging out with my teammates

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Teamwork makes the dream work

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Hello! I am Danielle and I am a junior forward on Fordham’s women’s basketball team. I will be hosting our team’s official Tumblr account, which will document our experiences as we enter the second half of our 2015-16 season. Stay tuned!