Women in sports celebrated before game

The 2022-2023 Leopards women’s basketball team shows off their new bling at the National Girls and Women in Sports Day game Wednesday night. The team received rings for their 2023 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular season championship before Wednesday night’s game, which ended in a 81-64 Leopards victory. / photo by Jack Janes
The 2022-2023 Leopards women’s basketball team shows off their new bling at the National Girls and Women in Sports Day game Wednesday night. The team received rings for their 2023 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular season championship before Wednesday night’s game, which ended in a 81-64 Leopards victory. / photo by Jack Janes

Last season’s women’s basketball team was honored before Wednesday night’s National Girls and Women in Sports Day game at Frantz Athletic Court for their record setting season last year.

Junior guards Marissa Howell and Kim Leon show off their 2023 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular season championship rings. The team was celebrated before the Leopards’ National Girls and Women in Sports Day game Wednesday night at Frantz Athletic Court. The Leopards won, 81-64. / photo by Jack Janes
Junior guards Marissa Howell and Kim Leon show off their 2023 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular season championship rings. The team was celebrated before the Leopards’ National Girls and Women in Sports Day game Wednesday night at Frantz Athletic Court. The Leopards won, 81-64. / photo by Jack Janes

National Girls and Women in Sports Day was Feb. 7, but the Leopards were playing an away game at Whittier and so they celebrated before their next home game, which was Wednesday night. 

The festivities kicked off when last year’s team was given their rings for winning the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular season championship. Last year’s team won a ULV record setting 24 wins en route to a SCIAC Finals appearance, where they lost by a tantalizing one point.

Frantz Athletic Court was dressed for the occasion, with pink lights underneath the bleachers and pink ribbon wrapped around the railings of the bleachers as well. Gameday staff then started throwing t-shirts into the crowd that read “Just a female athlete?” on the front and “POWERFUL, COURAGEOUS, DETERMINED, UNBREAKABLE, RESILIENT, FIERCE” in green lettering on the back stacked on top of each other with one letter per word in orange so it spells “FEMALE” going down. 

Then at half time, University of La Verne’s Xpressions Dance Ensemble performed their “Divine Femme” performance. With thumping music and smooth moves, the group brought up the energy in a packed Frantz Athletic Court.

The Leopards would go on to win the game 81-64 against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. 

—Jack Janes

University of La Verne’s Xpressions Dance Ensemble dazzles in their halftime performance at the women's basketball game for National Girls and Women in Sports Day on Wednesday night at Frantz Athletic Court. The Leopards would go on to win, 81-64. / photo by Jack Janes
University of La Verne’s Xpressions Dance Ensemble dazzles in their halftime performance at the women’s basketball game for National Girls and Women in Sports Day on Wednesday night at Frantz Athletic Court. The Leopards would go on to win, 81-64. / photo by Jack Janes
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Jack Janes, a senior journalism major, is sports editor of the Campus Times and a staff writer for La Verne Magazine. He is also a staff photographer for both publications. He previously served as a Campus Times staff writer.

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