Copyright The Austin Chronicle
Two years ago, looking around at what she deemed pathetically filled stands compared to that of the men’s team, UT Austin student Giorgy Ruiz was displeased and eager to hype up the Texas women’s basketball team’s student section. Last year, she began running the spirit organization exclusively for the team called the Charge. Last season, the women’s team advanced to the NCAA Final Four for the fourth time in its history and the first time in over 20 years. They saw standout performances from guards Madison Booker and Rori Harmon and a winning standard brought in the last few years by coach Vic Schaefer. This season’s new recruits, record high season ticket sales, and the newly Texas Athletics-sponsored student spirit org prophesize another winning season for this Longhorn team. Ahead of this season, which officially begins Nov. 3, the women’s team boasts a program record sale of over 6,000 season tickets – mirroring the national record-breaking increase in viewership for the WNBA. Paired with the Charge’s 25 student ambassadors ready to rally student attendance each game, Moody Center promises a consistent electric energy for the team to play in with a home crowd advantage they’ve sought. “I didn’t pay much attention to the fans when I was younger because I’d come from high school [where there weren’t] that many people anyway, so you’re just like, ‘I’m just hoopin’ to hoop,’” said fifth year guard Harmon. “I didn’t believe our fans played a huge part in our success, and they do. … [A couple years ago] we were trying so hard to reach out to our fans to get to these games, and women’s sports in general wasn’t really popping at that time. …This last year was incredible.” Ruiz said anyone who joins the student section at the games is considered a part of the Charge, but her and her starting ambassadors encourage fan engagement and help market the team. During the squad’s first SEC season last year, Ruiz and her ambassadors gathered students at games, hyped them up, posted on social media, and frequently emailed Texas Athletics marketing about getting as involved as the men’s spirit section, the Corral. Those efforts earned 25 of them being flown out to Florida for the team’s Final Four game last year and the official sponsorship from Texas Athletics this year. Ruiz said she hopes to fill up all of the student section seats so they are never given up to general admission. “It’s embarrassing to have to look on TV and see one of the top 10 teams in the country have an empty student section. It’s a representation of the university as a whole,” Ruiz said. “That’s [one reason] why student attendance is really important. It’s something that a lot of people have put their blood, sweat, and tears in and something that we should appreciate.” Perfecting the team’s “product” for all of these new fans, Schaefer said the team spent their off-season finding consistent second and third offensive options and developing defensive cohesiveness. These offensive inductees include freshmen guards Aaliyah Crump and Grace Prenter plus transfer forwards Ashton Judd from University of Missouri and Teya Sidberry from Boston College. On Oct. 30, the new and returning players met student fans for a men’s and women’s season tip-off event hosted by the Charge and the Corral ahead of their home opener against University of Incarnate Word. “Across the country, in women’s basketball, the bulk of your fan base is the blue hairs, the gray hairs, and the no hairs. It’s the older people. What we’ve tried to develop is the young families with kids,” Schaefer said. “It’s really important that we continue to work hard and develop our fan base, but the biggest thing you can do is have a good team.” Beyond the rising love from home fans, the rising appeal of playing professionally offers brighter possibilities if players wish to play post-grad. WNBA ticket sales and viewership is higher than ever before, and players across the board are advocating for better pay rates, paving the way for better opportunities for incoming teammates. “When it comes to the WNBA, it’s a lot more exciting to look forward to,” Harmon said. “That’s your childhood goal, as you were young and figuring out that basketball was what you wanted to do – that has remained the same. But, with how [much more] exciting it’s become in every aspect, it’s a lot more encouraging and a lot more exciting to want to get there.” Schaefer – in his 41st year of coaching, which is about 10 years longer than the professional women’s league has been around – says that though the main focus for the coaches is getting the players generally prepared for the post-grad world, he’s proud the professional game has progressed to be a more enticing opportunity. “People are just finding out what I’ve known for a long time,” Schaefer said. “How special this game is, how special the young ladies are that play this game,”
